The time has actually gradually turned away from the dog days of summer, but the weather has still not gotten rid of the heat of summer. In the study room of Yushan Academy, Li Pin poured two cups of tea and handed one to Ning Yi.
"The affairs of the country are affairs of the world. Sometimes I find it ridiculous when I see people who talk a lot and are extremely confident. However, many ideas always come from such rhetoric. If you really work hard and never discuss with others, it will be inevitable.
Biased. In the third year of Jinghan's reign, I went to Beijing to take the exam, passed the Jinshi exam, and ranked eleventh on the imperial list. Unfortunately... At that time, I offended Fu Ying, the minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, because of my excessive policy discussions. Although I got the imperial list, I was rarely short of it.
After a month, I was disheartened, left Tokyo, and returned to Jiangning."
Li Pin talked about this, then shook his head and smiled while holding the teacup.
"There are others who seek official positions and get Jinshi. There are also those who stay in Tokyo for several years and seek various opportunities, and then leave after a few months. Sometimes I don't want to tell people about it, for fear of being laughed at. But that period in Tokyo
Time, when I saw the interest network between officials, I felt really complicated. The style of Tokyo is slightly different from Jiangning. If you go there, you can feel that the place where the imperial city is located seems to be enveloped by that feeling.
You can see the majestic palace wall every day near the Royal Street. Even if you can't see the palace, if you look in that direction, the palace seems to be standing in front of you..."
"Those who seek official positions, those who seek connections, those who talk about national affairs, those who carry on the unique knowledge to the saints, and those who create peace for all generations...these are the things discussed in teahouses, taverns, and all kinds of fireworks places. You can see the shadow of officials wherever you go.
On the one hand, it is full of vitality, but on the other hand, it is sluggish. In short, everyone is working in a hurry and can't get the point. But life has to go on. I also try to take various paths and think of various ways, maybe find that
Fu Ying's political opponents and the like can be promoted. But in the end, it's still of little use. Maybe it's just that I didn't go the right way. I originally thought that the eleventh place should have some value, but they don't reject you, they just pass the buck.
I arranged some positions for you, but there were no real shortages, and the arrangements were watertight, so after a few months, I probably realized that this road was temporarily unworkable."
"Why bother trying to take advantage of that little loophole in someone else's place? You can't get in. My family is pretty good. If I really want to live in Tokyo and wait for the opportunity, I don't have money. I don't think it's necessary. I might as well take advantage of it.
During this time, I could calm down and think. So I left Tokyo and traveled around Xu, Tang, Shen, and Anjizhou back to Jiangning. I also encountered floods at that time and saw a lot of things. In the past few years since I came back, I have been thinking about it.
, why are things in this world like this..."
He took a sip of tea and said: "In the past hundred years, our Wu Dynasty also had several major and minor reforms. There were many failures. But when it comes to principles, we always focus on enriching the people, strengthening the army, and recruiting soldiers. If you want to do something, take these three as the basis.
It does make sense to start with it. However, looking at the root cause, what is the fundamental reason why our military and civilians in the Wu Dynasty are weak and we cannot recruit soldiers in the right way? Whenever I talk to people recently, I am thinking about these things."
Ning Yi took a sip of tea and then shrugged: "Isn't this reason... very simple?"
Li Pin was originally waiting for his opinion. Hearing his words, he was slightly stunned, and then he laughed: "It is indeed simple... Li Heng said at the beginning that everything has basic rules and its roots. If
If you can see it clearly, you may be able to grasp the future development more clearly. I think it makes sense... In fact, when you look at my Wu Dynasty now, the reason is also quite clear. Anyone who puts some effort can see it clearly..."
He paused for a moment, picked up the chalk, and drew a triangle on the small blackboard on one side: "Our country was originally founded by force. At the beginning of the founding of the country, the force was strong. However, several subsequent rebellions made Taizu see the disadvantages of this matter.
, then suppressed Wu and worshiped Wen, and governed our dynasty by using strong trunks and weak branches. These methods allowed our dynasty to eliminate the causes of civil strife, once making the people rich and the country extending. But now, it has also caused many disadvantages, which makes the country prosperous and prosperous.
It is difficult for our country to resist foreign aggression. Under a lot of pressure, in order to maintain the strength of the trunk, it still remains strong, but it also makes the weak branches weaker, and wealth still flows to the top. The force of force was originally suppressed by the strong trunk and weak branches, and now it is even weaker.
The weaker the force, the greater the external pressure, and the greater the pressure, the weaker the force, thus forming a cycle from which there is no way out..."
Li Pin breathed out and looked at the blackboard: "If we can solve the commercial problems and estimate the weak branches, our government will naturally have enough room to take into account force. This is a problem that needs to be solved in any strategy to enrich the people... If we can
With strong military force and no foreign aggression, our dynasty can naturally take a breather. This is a problem that needs to be solved in the strategy of strengthening the army. Recruiting scholars is also to enrich the people, strengthen the army, and make the country prosperous... Unfortunately, these are all empty words."
He threw away the chalk: "If we just talk about one strategy, everyone seems to have a method. Even if we implement several strategies in parallel, there will be no problem. But we have a situation of strong trunk and weak branches. It is like a big tree. The strong trunk is not full.
, even if there is a little nutrition, the weak branches will be taken away by the strong branches. How to guide the strong branches to let them naturally flow nutrients to the weak branches, that is the problem. What does Li Heng think? "
Ning Yi thought for a while and nodded with a smile: "Well, it makes sense, and you are saying...let those big landowners and businessmen who have become powerful officials - just like our Su family - and those
Relatives of the royal family, rich and idle people, willingly take out the money they earn and return wealth to the people..."
Li Pin smiled and did not deny it: "It is true that there is some scholarly energy, but there is no other way. Of course, everything in the world is moving forward, and it is impossible to retreat. Everyone said that Emperor Heng, during the time of Huizong, I was a martial artist.
The dynasty is prosperous, the country is rich and the people are strong, but it is impossible to think about retreating. The problem is how to guide it to the next step and make these people willing to take out money. It is not a cycle, unrealistic, and of little use. Everything needs to be considered.
The promotion flow is continuous. Therefore, there needs to be a way to let these people take out the money and invest it in the poor place. Then it must be ensured that both parties can make money, and then continue, endlessly, and the wealth of the strong will not be reduced.
But it can alleviate the situation of weak branches...perhaps, we can consider letting the court intervene first."
"Wang Anshi has changed the law..." Ning Yi frowned slightly and murmured. Li Pin turned his head from there: "Huh?"
There was no Wang Anshi in the Wu Dynasty, but a prime minister named Tan Xi and Tan Ziyong did something similar decades ago. The reform tried to involve the court in many businesses to revitalize the economy. Ning Yi smiled: "Dexin said this
Isn’t it similar to what Tan Xiang thought back then?”
Li Pin nodded: "I have indeed thought over and over about Prime Minister Tan's reform, and it has inspired me a lot. Prime Minister Tan may have thought the same way at that time, but he did not expect the great resistance at the time. The decrees were not implemented and the subordinates were obeying and disobeying them. So,
The top priority of state affairs is to eliminate officials and govern..."
"That's true." Ning Yi nodded, "But the method is wrong. The economy cannot be played like this."
"Hmm? Economy?"
"Well, that is, the business system, the circulation of goods, the circulation of currency, the whole system..." Ning Yi explained with a smile, "Any business system that allows privileges to intervene is not a normal business system. Here, privileges only
It can be poison, especially the privileges of the imperial court and the government."
"Li Heng also thinks that we shouldn't compete with the people for profit?"
"That's not the reason." Ning Yi shook his head, "Don't you want to have basic rules? The basic rule of the economy is greed. Businessmen pursue profit. The purpose can only be profit, and the rest can be left vague. Greed is such a thing
In many cases, it is positive. I am working in the store and I want to buy some clothes, so I work hard and try to find ways to make money, or to be appreciated by the owner to make more money. This is good greed. He actually has
There are many ways to steal and rob, but that means going to jail is not worth it, so I can only do it according to the rules of the game. I have done so many things, and it is worth so much money. It is worth that dress. It can make people stay.
Greed within the rules of the game is good greed..."
"But the imperial court is not in the rules of the game. They are still acting as the referee, but you let them join the game. In the end, no one else can continue to play... As mentioned before, businessmen can only pursue profits for profit. You let them
When people see profit, they are taught greed. When they turn around, they see a gold medal and a knife in their hands. If I can simply take the profit back, why don't you let me not take it? If it is really possible.
If it’s such an ideal, wouldn’t it be the same as asking the big landowners and businessmen to take out the money?”
He paused for a moment: "Tan Gong's reform is not because the rule of law is not enough. People will always take advantage of loopholes. Greed is too powerful. Once he has this kind of emotion, there will be nothing but interests in his eyes. This kind of emotion can make people very positive.
It has great driving force, but the only key is: it is best not to let privileged beings have such emotions. If the privilege is not suppressed enough, no one will be able to play in the end..."
"As long as there are any small loopholes that can be exploited, the rule of law will never have enough time. When the privileged class does business, they can only let wolves into the flock. Instead of considering allowing more privileges to intervene, it is better to eliminate those who have already come in.
The privilege of the referee may actually have some promotion effect... In simple words, let the referee come off the field to play the game, then how to play the game? Speaking of supervision, it will only make the originally simple things more complicated and disruptive.
Inevitable."
Outside the window, a pair of siblings squatted on the corridor under the window sill and eavesdropped. The boy tapped his sister's shoulder and whispered: "Sister, sister, does he mean that our family's business should be destroyed?"
"This barbarian..." Zhou Pei blinked, a little annoyed, and then glanced at his younger brother, "But what he said makes sense. You have to remember and think about it carefully. Don't believe it easily, but don't let others talk nonsense. In this way
Only then can great things be accomplished in the future.”
"Oh." Zhou Junwu nodded, then untied the pocket on his waist, took out a glutinous rice cake, and ate it in small bites. Zhou Pei stared at him with hatred.
"Let the referee go off the field to play games..." In the room, Li Pin was silent for a long time, and then he laughed, with a somewhat complicated expression, "Li Heng's sentence is indeed the basic principle. If I were the referee, once I left the field, it would indeed be
…”
He is a person who thinks about things. Although he may not give up the idea of economic guidance, when Ning Yi said this, he could somewhat imagine the consequences: "I didn't expect that after several years of thinking, Li Heng could understand it at a glance.
Seeing the most difficult point to solve, perhaps this is also the difference in Li Heng's approach to things?"
"This is a very interesting thing after all. Every year, our government pays hundreds of thousands of coins to the Liao Kingdom, but the profit from trade is millions. In the end, we still take advantage. The importance of merchants and the benefits of commerce
, Now not only Brother Dexin understands, many people have understood. Our dynasty is different from the previous dynasties. Our dynasty does not suppress business. Although Tan Gong's reforms have problems, they also express the court's attitude towards business.
Attention, but..." Ning Yi thought for a while and suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, I was just thinking, how is that Fu Ying doing now?"
Ning Yi was talking about business and suddenly turned to this sentence. Li Pin was also stunned. After a moment, he burst out laughing: "Li Heng is really amazing. I can't hide anything from you. Fu Ying, the Minister of Civil Affairs, is three years old this year."
Yue was investigated for corruption and was sentenced to exile by Dali Temple last month. When this flood incident is over, I will probably..." He was slightly melancholy, but he was happy after all, "I probably also plan to go to Tokyo again.
, I’ll do some research to see if I can fill the gap. I’ve been waiting for five years now, so Li Heng shouldn’t say that I’m too addicted to officialdom.”
Ning Yi also laughed: "In that case, congratulations to Brother Dexin."
"It's still too early, it's still too early... But how did Li Heng see this?"
"Business secrets." Ning Yi just noticed some clues from the other party's expression, so he asked casually, making a joke. Li Pin shook his head and laughed for a while, then took a sip of tea: "Back to the topic, back to the topic, Li Heng can understand
I wonder if you have thought about the pros and cons, if you just let the imperial court guide you, what is the compromise?"
"That...a joke."
"It's just a joke."
"Okay, since you are going to be an official anyway, it's okay to discuss it." Ning Yi smiled and nodded, "I personally think, yes, no."
"how you said that?"
"Actually, it's very simple. Let the imperial court and Confucianism consciously improve the status of merchants, and then the business style will naturally become more prevalent. If you want to actively guide it without interfering and destroying it, this is the only way..."
After saying this, Li Pin frowned: "The status of a businessman...this matter...after all, businessmen value profits..."
"It's not that businessmen value profits," Ning Yi took a sip of tea. "The country also values profits. Over the years, business has developed and the status of businessmen has improved compared to previous dynasties. If we take the initiative to let go, business will definitely grow, but this is not the case.
Where possible... they dare not."
"who?"
"The people above, the imperial court, the emperor, the Confucianists... you and I, or everyone, don't dare to let go..."
In the corridor outside the window, Zhou Junwu, who was squatting by the wall, was slightly stunned: "Sister, he is talking nonsense again. I don't dare to do it. Our family is also doing business, and Grandpa Consort's family is even bigger...
"
"Shut up." Zhou Pei said in a low voice, then thought for a moment: "I don't dare...he is trying to provoke the general."
Then they heard Ning Yi's slightly teasing voice coming from inside.
"If we let go, with a bang, the Wu Dynasty and this country... would be gone."