T-word volume, section 42, the dispute of interests
I didn’t stay in Songjiang Prefecture for a long time, and I only briefly learned about the development status of Songjiang’s cotton textile industry.
Feng Ziying has the impression that various historical books say that the female weavers in every household in Jiangnan, with Songjiang as the model, were the "culprits" that led to the failure of China's industrial revolution to take place in the textile industry.
In other words, the reason why the germination of capitalism in China has not really emerged is that under the Ming Dynasty, the model of men farming and women weaving and the internal circulation model of all commercial operations made China not need the industrial revolution that liberated productivity. Because of this special "women weaving"
"The model with almost no labor costs completely stifles the possibility of textile technological changes that want to liberate productivity, and makes it difficult for capitalism, mercantilism and foreign colonialism to develop, making this closed and difficult model increasingly lost.
The development of endogenous power eventually led to China's overall backwardness starting from the seventeenth century.
In this era, Europe officially began the era of great navigation and colonization, which allowed them to continuously win opportunities in the open pattern, and then began to occupy a dominant position.
It is difficult for Feng Ziying to say clearly whether it is because of this reason that China has become increasingly closed and backward since 1600. The principle of Manchu rule in China continued to strengthen this closed model, but in this time and space, he certainly cannot tolerate it.
This situation occurs again.
Now that the Great Zhou has appeared, and with him, in the future East Asia and even Asia and the world should be in a situation where the Great Zhou competes with European countries and wins.
Not only Southeast Asia, Central Asia, North Asia and North America should all have a share of the Zhou Dynasty's share of the pie, but this scoop should also have the largest share.
After inspecting the women's weaving model in Songjiang Prefecture, Feng Ziying had to admit that for Zhou Dynasty, which was in a similar situation to the Ming Dynasty, this kind of women's weaving did allow women in rural households like Jiangnan to obtain the best labor remuneration.
If we want to completely break this pattern and adopt the industrialization process, the key lies in how to liberate these women and put them into factories.
This is not a technical issue, but a matter of ethics and patriarchal etiquette.
Whether it is a flying shuttle, a spinning Jenny, a hydraulic spinning machine or even a Muir spinning machine, it is not difficult for Feng Ziying.
In his previous life, when he was a university student, he was obsessed with the causes and processes of the British Industrial Revolution, so he spent a lot of time studying it, even including technical iterations. He studied it so hard that he was admitted to the university.
The teacher denounced it as not doing his job properly.
Therefore, he cannot say that he is familiar with the basic technologies in these aspects, but as long as he can find a few skilled craftsmen, through his own guidance and a lot of exploration, it will not be a problem to roughly create a few prototypes that may not be completely consistent.
But if there were no women who could leave their homes and go to factories to spin and weave cloth, how could the industrial revolution liberate productivity?
Do they all use young and strong men?
Is it okay for them to operate machines in factories to compete with women who sit at home spinning and weaving? Is it appropriate?
Feng Ziying herself didn't know what the outcome would be.
Feng Ziying also knows very well that even if one person's golden finger can promote the advancement of a technology and the development of an industry in a certain period of time in a certain industry, this will not last long or even be sustainable.
To truly achieve this goal, in the final analysis, it is necessary to make a complete transformation from the system, productivity and production relations, business models, and even the ideological and public opinion cognition of the entire society, from the gradual cultivation and trial and error of education and training and various industrial operations.
Only then can it be truly realized.
The problem is that this is a long-term process, and scholars and officials inside and outside the government are insensitive and complacent about this. If they are not pushed to the extreme, they will not make any changes at all.
Just like the opening of the sea, they would not have made such a compromise if the imperial court's financial resources had not been so empty that it endangered the security of the nine borders and even directly faced the dangerous situation of foreign tribes overtaking the Central Plains.
Looking at a prefecture like Songjiang, from point to point, you can imagine that in the entire Jiangnan like Songjiang, tens of thousands of women sit in their houses all day long, spinning and weaving, and working constantly.
The traders would deliver cotton to their homes every day or every few days, and then collect the cloth they woven for dyeing and finishing. Finally, they would gather together and sell them to every inch of the entire Zhou Dynasty via boats and carriages.
Land up.
This number can reach tens of millions per year!
Feng Ziying felt a kind of loneliness with no one to complain to.
From Songjiang to Suzhou, from cotton textile to silk textile, silk textile is certainly different from cotton textile, but the problem is that silk textile basically appears in the pattern of export and luxury goods. How many people in the entire Zhou Dynasty can really enjoy it?
Start silk consumption?
However, the demand for cotton textiles covers the entire Zhou people, regardless of wealth or poverty.
Opening the sea can only be said to be the first step, but it is really difficult to say how much lasting power the opening of the sea will bring.
"Ziying, why do you feel that your mood is not high?" Fan Jingwen and He Fengsheng accompanied Feng Ziying on the left and right as they walked along the Baidi in Hangzhou.
Wang Wenyan stayed in Suzhou, and it is estimated that he will come to Hangzhou later.
"A little bit." Feng Ziying didn't hide anything from these two people.
Feng Ziying has always tried to make her classmates and friends around her slowly accept her views and ideas.
In his opinion, these people are younger than the officials who have been in officialdom for many years, it is easier to accept new things, and they do not have so many worries about looking forward and backward.
Facts have proven that this view is basically correct, but it may not be entirely correct.
Fan Jingwen and He Fengsheng indeed followed Feng Ziying during this period and gradually accepted many new ideas. However, Cui Jingrong, whom Feng Ziying had not had much hope for, was beyond Feng Ziying's expectations and understood and supported many of Feng Ziying's ideas.
On the other hand, Wei Guangwei, Wu Liangsi and others who originally had some hope have made little progress, not to mention people like Sun Juxiang.
"What's wrong? Weren't you very optimistic about the silk industry in Suzhou and Hangzhou before?" He Fengsheng asked in surprise: "We looked at it and did some research. It does have great potential for development."
"Their silk weaving technology is unparalleled, with a wide variety of colors and unique styles. I am afraid that Yangzhou and Jinling are inferior. Hangzhou silk and Su satin are famous overseas, and they also have a large number of skilled workers. I also asked specifically if they want to expand production.
, how to solve the problem of hiring workers and looms? They said that looms are easy to solve. There are workshops in Suzhou, Hangzhou, Yangzhou, Jinling, and Huzhou that specialize in making such looms. As long as there is demand, it can be made in three months at most.
After the production is completed, as for the hired workers, they also said that the old will lead the new, there may be some impact in the first few months, but in half a year, or even less than half a year, they will all be experienced workers."
After following Feng Ziying for a long time, He Fengsheng and others gradually accepted Feng Ziying's new words, such as this "industry". Feng Ziying's explanation is that an industry that can produce a specific output can be named an industry.
In fact, this word is not a new coinage. Originally, industry was understood more as property and family business, or the business of accumulating property. However, Feng Ziying gave it a new definition, which is that it can be different from other industries and can produce products that are unique to the entire industry.
Industries that produce socially beneficial outputs.
"So it seems that these businessmen have also realized the changes that the opening of the sea may bring and are making preparations?" Feng Ziying was in a slightly better mood.
"Of course, do you think these people don't have spies in the court?" Fan Jingwen said coldly: "It's just that the opening of the sea is good for Jiangnan, but it is of little value to us in the north. Ziying, what about the issue over Denglai?
It didn’t say how to solve it.”
Fan Jingwen was particularly touched by this trip to the south of the Yangtze River. He was deeply aware of the huge gap between the north and the south of the Yangtze River, which made him even more anxious.
The strategy of opening up the sea has given another great boost to the development of the entire Jiangnan area, but what about the Northland?
Nothing was found.
Even it was originally agreed to build a shipyard in Denglai, build sea-going ships, and promote the shipping route between Liaodong-Denglai-Songjiang, so that grain and cloth from Jiangnan can be directly transported to Liaodong, so as to minimize the pressure on Liaodong.
Logistical pressure has now been put on hold.
Looking at the dilapidated appearance of the two major shipyards in Longjiang and Qingjiang and the lazy loss of craftsmen, and then thinking about the sea-going ships needed for long-sea routes, Fan Jingwen simply did not believe that the imperial court could quickly build a shipyard in Denglai to meet the needs.
Fan Jingwen had already made up his mind. As soon as he returned to the capital, he would mobilize northern scholars and classmates to advise Qi Yongtai, Zhang Jingqiu and others. If the court could not come up with a solution, then the strategy of opening up the sea could not be approved so easily.
Of course, if Feng Ziying can come up with a convincing strategy, that's another matter.
"Mengzhang, I think it is unrealistic to rely entirely on the imperial court to solve the shipping problems in Denglai and Liaodong. It is most appropriate to encourage and support private merchants to set up shipping yards in Denglai and even Liaodong. However, the power of the private sector is limited, so the imperial court
How to support? I have already said this situation. Craftsmen and technicians, money and credit, court orders, and policy support are all indispensable. But you also know that Mr. Wei, Mr. Wu, and Mr. Sun are all firmly opposed..." Feng Ziying
He spread his hands and asked, "What can I do?"
"A bunch of Luli!" Fan Jingwen said bitterly. If these people were from the south, he would have argued with them regardless of their superiority. But these Wei Guangwei and Sun Juxiang are both from the north. Wu Liangsi
We are from Huguang. If we say that we are all in the same trench, but when it comes to the interests of our respective departments, even if we are all from the north, we still have to argue.
All the technicians are from the Ministry of Industry, so how can we just say they will be exempted?
Where does the money and credit come from? It must come from the Ministry of Accounts, so how can it be done?
The imperial court's order for shipbuilding had nothing to do with Longjiang Shipyard in Qingjiang. It still had to pay a deposit first, which neither the Ministry of Industry nor the Ministry of Household Affairs could agree to.
In addition, the imperial court also provides other support, which is simply more generous than the imperial court itself. What has become of this?
Even if I take it to the cabinet, I'm afraid it won't pass.