Zhang Yue had some enlightenment after listening to Chen Xiang's words.
"Although the teacher is far away in Hangzhou, he has a clear understanding of the situation in the court. This student is not as good as him."
Chen Xiang said: "Don't be modest, but in the final analysis it is still a dispute over political opinions. Jiefu and Jifu still have their reasons for leading the world with reforms. The dispute over new laws is a dispute between officials and people. That is to say, the wealth of the world is not with the people, but with the people." Official battle."
"Do you know why wherever I go, I promote education, build schools, and recruit scholars to study in counties and states? Because scholars are between the officials and the people. Sometimes the officials bully the people too much, and they can stand up. Those who speak for the people.”
Zhang Yue thought that when Chen Xiang was in Fuzhou, he was known as the Four Binhai Teachers. When he was the magistrate of Pucheng, he vigorously established a county school. When he was in Heyang County, he angered local dignitaries by setting up a county school. Fu Bi, the governor of the state, protected him and recommended him. The Penguo Zijian also vigorously promoted learning. Later, when Chen Xiang learned about Chenzhou, he also restored the school building where Fan Zhongyan gave lectures.
In short, wherever Chen Xiang goes, he will do the work of establishing schools. This is his idea.
Chen Xiang said: "I deeply agree with what you just said about 'state affairs'. What exactly is state affairs? After all, the prime minister has the final say and the officials have the final say. This is the meaning of the world and the scholar-bureaucrats co-ruling the world." ."
"But the most important thing is that the people must also be able to speak. But what if the people can't read or read? Then let the scholars lead them to speak."
"Therefore, this 'national issue' is a joint force, and only then can we truly discuss the national issue together."
Teacher Zhang Yue Xindao’s words really resonate with my heart. He said: "It is what my teacher said, public opinion comes from the school. If there is public opinion, officials will not dare to bully the people too much, and the harm of the reform can be slightly reduced."
Zhang Yue thought to himself that Chen Xiang's words might be a little difficult to understand, but he would understand if he thought about the Ming Dynasty.
Scholars and candidates in the Ming Dynasty were the first level of scholars. For example, scholars could meet officials without kneeling and could get rice. Scholars could be exempted from taxes and service. At the same time, local officials could not detain scholars at will. Scholars must petition academic officials to exempt them. Only with the identity of a 'scholar' can one be captured.
From the inscriptions on the tombstones of the five people who resisted the imperial court's excessive taxation, to the restoration of society that later received mixed reputations.
As far as the Donglin Party is concerned, their weapon is public opinion.
This is the scholar class.
In fact, since Cai Jing came to the country, the three-level system of county school-prefecture school-Guozijian was also built to enhance the power of scholars.
However, Zhang Yue thought more. Apart from scholars, intellectuals were often unreliable at critical times, and they could not represent scholars.
It was necessary to unite businessmen and skilled craftsmen. This was the poor family that he and Lu Huiqing had mentioned at the beginning.
A poor family means a little background, a little ability, a little knowledge, a little money, a little land, but not much.
However, relying solely on the scholar class cannot achieve success.
It is precisely because of this that Zhang Yue strongly opposed the Market Change Law, because the Market Change Law destroyed commercial circulation.
However, the feudal rulers in the past divided the people into four categories: scholars, farmers, industry and merchants, forming a chain of discrimination from top to bottom, which caused the scholars and people of this class to fight among themselves and distrust each other.
Zhang Yue listened to Chen Xiang's words, analyzed the situation, and finally understood his basic situation.
The politics of the Tang Dynasty was a republic between the aristocratic families and the emperor, so the politics of the Song Dynasty changed from the aristocratic families to the scholar-bureaucrats, and the outstanding scholars, farmers, industry and merchants could be counted as scholars and people. If they were given the right to rule the world with the scholar-bureaucrats and the emperor, they would participate in What will happen if the country is in the middle?
Reform means dividing the cake. You must understand whose interests you are fighting for.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yue suddenly became enlightened and wanted to share it with Chen Xiang, but then he thought that this was a dragon slaying technique, so he still couldn't tell the teacher so nakedly.
Zhang Yue turned to Chen Xiang and said, "Teacher, do you know that cotton can be made into cotton cloth?"
Chen Xiang nodded and said: "I have heard a little bit. I heard that in Shaanxi, someone in Jingzhao has used a first-class textile machine to relieve the people from the pain of pulling cotton seeds by hand."
Zhang Yue nodded and said: "Yes, I learned this method from an old woman and later passed it on to others. If this method can be promoted, the use of cotton cloth can benefit the people."
Chen Xiang smiled and said: "You are quite knowledgeable in general knowledge."
Zhang Yue secretly said with shame: "These are the only miscellaneous subjects that the student knows. It's a pity that the student later looked for the old woman and couldn't find her. Otherwise, the imperial court should give her an official title."
Chen Xiang laughed and said: "How can a woman become an official? If this method is beneficial to the world, I can reward her with gold and silver."
Zhang Yue thought to himself, people like Huang Daopo were excluded from the scope of being an official and discussing politics. How could the officialdom and scholar-bureaucrats alone develop?
Can the Four Books and Five Classics be productive?
How can production relations serve productivity?
The division between scholars, farmers, industry and commerce is really harmful to people.
However, Chen Xiang was his teacher. Zhang Yue did not intend to argue but said: "Students come to Hangzhou to meet their teachers. Secondly, the land of Suzhou and Xiuzhou is far more suitable for growing cotton than the northwest."
"If teachers can encourage people to plant cotton fields and then use spinning machines to plucking cotton seeds, then the textile industry will be great."
Suhang Weaving, which was very famous in the Ming and Qing Dynasties in later generations, was the Weaving House in Hangzhou, Suzhou.
There is also Songjiang cotton. Songjiang cotton is famous because the place in Songjiang is very suitable for growing cotton. Some people even joked that the city flower of Shanghai should be cotton.
Chen Xiang was moved after hearing Zhang Yue's words.
Zhang Yue said: "Teacher, students think that the study of saints should be about trade and benefiting workers! Now there are craftsmen from the northwest who are coming with my ship. As for the purchase of cotton fields, I have familiar merchants here, and they can help me. Of course, the most important thing is for the teacher to say something."
Needless to say, Chen Xiang's doting on Zhang Yue went without saying, "Since you have spoken, how can I not do it for you?"
Zhang Yue said with a smile: "It would be great if the teacher agrees. If the government can issue an official document allowing the people to use cotton to offset taxes, the people's willingness to plant cotton fields will be stronger. If Suzhou can be persuaded, Xiuzhou's The prefect also supports us, so that would be even better."
When Chen Xiang heard this, he laughed and said, "You are trying to push your limits, so I will agree to it as well."
Zhang Yue was overjoyed when he saw Chen Xiang agreeing.
The following is the operation and intervention of a large amount of funds, so in the Ming Dynasty, Su Song's wealth was known as half the world, but from the Yuan to the early Ming Dynasty, it took hundreds of years to brew.
But Zhang Yue had no time to wait for the private sector to develop on its own. The state forcefully intervened, encouraged and even forced local people to plant cotton fields, and then used large capital to support it. It took a few years to complete what originally took hundreds of years. road.
If we can build textile-based industry and commerce in the three states of Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Xiuzhou, and use taxes to replenish the national treasury, it will eliminate the method of the imperial court monopolizing industry and commerce in order to make money.
This is the capital of Zhang Yue's independence from the struggle between the old and the new parties.
