"Exactly."
In the study room of the side hall of Chengyun Hall.
Xu Yi admitted directly with his usual expression.
Hear this.
A look of relief flashed across the faces of Fan Chongxian and Song Yuanfu.
Different from Yang Xian'an, Zhu Zongting and Wang Wenqing.
The Vatican and Song Dynasties were neither Xu Yi's in-laws nor Xu Yi's childhood playmates.
Therefore.
Fan Chongxian and Song Yuanfu had some inherent shortcomings.
That's why.
Fan Chongxian and Song Yuanfu never worried about what Xu Yi would do.
Instead, he was worried about what Xu Yi was going to do, but he kept it secret from the two of them.
nowadays.
Xu Yi said lightly, "That's right."
It is tantamount to officially announcing that the two people of Sanskrit and Song Dynasty have officially entered the real core of the Yan Palace.
In the study room of the side hall of Chengyun Hall.
Xu Yi calmly took in the expressions of Fan and Song.
Then he said with a normal expression: "To be precise, the construction of the new official road is paving the way for Yan merchants."
"And Yan Shang is paving the way for collecting commercial taxes."
When Wang Wenqing heard this, he couldn't help but frown and said, "Your Majesty, you want to overthrow the national policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce, which has been implemented by all dynasties?"
"If that's true."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me and tell me frankly that this will do more harm than good."
The words are over.
Yang Xian'an, Zhu Zongting, Fan Chongxian, and Song Yuanfu all held their breaths.
Waiting for Xu Yi’s next post.
As Wang Wenqing said.
Throughout thousands of years of history, every dynasty has implemented a policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce.
It comes down to it.
The essence of business is to sell things here and there.
This move can certainly make the city or country more prosperous in the short term.
But in the long run.
Too prosperous business is not conducive to the stability of the country.
First of all, merchants are not engaged in production, and they travel here and there without a fixed place.
It is extremely unfavorable to the recruitment of corvees.
Secondly, overly prosperous commerce will inevitably lead to a large number of people abandoning farming and investing in business.
As a result, it is not only difficult for the country to recruit corvees.
Even the land used for production is very likely to be abandoned in large areas.
Just ask.
If there is no land to produce, where will the food come from? Where did the sangma come from?
Where did the goods come from?
By then.
The entire country will go from prosperity to devastation or even destruction.
Thirdly, businessmen pursue profit, like hoarding and are greedy.
Too prosperous business will inevitably breed many wealthy merchants.
When the wealth in the hands of big merchants reaches a certain level.
With the greed of big businessmen, they will not be satisfied with the status quo.
It will inevitably change from the pursuit of money to the pursuit of power.
What will happen then is self-evident.
besides.
In the process of transforming from traders to merchants, and then from merchants to wealthy merchants.
There is a topic that can never be avoided.
That is, officials, businessmen, collusion, and alliances bring trouble to the people.
It is precisely because of all this.
Therefore.
In the course of thousands of years of history.
Rulers of all dynasties often implemented the basic national policy of "focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce".
And in the era that Xu Yi originally lived in.
Such as the First Emperor Yingzheng who swept across Liuhe and returned from all over the world. ….
When he put Han Fei's theory of "emphasis on agriculture and suppression of business" into practice, he ordered the "Jia people" and "the jail officials who were not straight, and tried to arrest the deceased and the son-in-law."
Those of low status are grouped into the same category.
Later
Recruit them or garrison them.
For example, Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, once ordered that "Jia people are not allowed to wear clothes or silk to ride in a carriage."
I and my descendants are not allowed to serve as officials. ,
Moreover, the wealth is twice that of ordinary people.
During the Western Jin Dynasty, an order was issued to devalue merchants.
Businessmen were ordered to wear one white shoe and one black shoe.
The rulers of the Sui Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty also mentioned the issue of cheap merchants and prohibited industrial and commercial people from becoming officials.
When Taizong of the Tang Dynasty first decided on official titles, he said: "This official is set up to treat wise men." ,
'The motley bunch of businessmen and industrialists must not be above the official rank, stand shoulder to shoulder with the noble gentlemen of the court, sit and eat together. ,
Later, Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty imitated the law of the Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, prohibiting industry and commerce, not riding horses, only wearing white clothes, no yellow, etc.
Taizu of the Ming Dynasty even issued an order in the twelfth year of Hongwu: "Silk yarn and silk cloth are allowed in farmers' homes, and silk cloth is allowed in merchants' homes." ,
'For example, in a farmer's house, if one of the family members is a merchant, they are not allowed to wear fine yarn. ,
All these kinds of things.
It comes down to it.
All are suppressing business.
In the study room of the side hall of Chengyun Hall.
Xu Yi's expression did not change at all after hearing this.
He is a man who has fled because of his blessings.
How could they not understand the dangers of merchants becoming bigger?
However.
Everything has two sides.
How can a person give up eating because of choking?
Xu Yi looked at Yang Xianan, Zhu Zongting and the other four people with a normal expression.
Then he asked: "What do you and the other four think?"
"Go back to your lord." Yang Xian'an calmed down for a moment, stood up and bowed his hands, saying, "I second my opinion."
Xu Yi nodded noncommittally.
Then he looked at Zhu Zongting, Fan Chongxian and Song Yuanfu.
He was outside the study room of the side hall earlier.
Zhu, Fan and Song held the opposite attitude to Wang and Yang.
Zhu Zongting, Fan Chongxian, and Song Yuanfu looked at each other silently.
Zhu Zongting then stood up, held his hands in his hands and saluted, saying, "Go back to your lord."
"I believe that special actions should be taken during special times."
"Now our Yan land only has two counties and millions of people."
"In-house production is extremely limited."
"Things such as cotton, grain, herbs, etc. all need to be purchased from elsewhere."
"And purchasing is inseparable from merchants."
"Therefore."
"I think we should first develop business."
"When the time is right, we will return to focusing on agriculture and suppressing business."
The words are over.
Fan Chongxian and Song Yuanfu stood up at the same time and cupped their hands and said, "I second my opinion."
Don't wait for Xu Yi to say anything.
Wang Wenqing immediately retorted: "It is true that special actions should be taken in special times."
"But I'm just afraid that orders will change day by day and it will be difficult to recover."
"If that day comes, I'm afraid it will be bad for the prince's reputation."
When Zhu Zongting heard this, he frowned and said, "If it is according to what Wang Juren said, where can we find the food, cotton, herbs, etc. that are urgently needed in Yan?"
"Where can you find the six materials needed to make a crossbow, such as stem, horn, tendon, glue, silk, and lacquer?"
"Where do you find the cotton needed to make cotton armor?"
"There are some things that my land of Yan cannot produce!"
"If there are no merchants, what will we do?"…
When Wang Wenqing heard this, he did not back down and said, "Envoy Zhu exaggerated."
"Now Yandi is in urgent need of supplies from various places."
"But this does not mean that we need to provide all kinds of preferential treatment to merchants from all over the world because we are in urgent need of supplies."
"For merchants to pursue profits, they only need to know that there is a profit to be made."
"He will bring the goods to Yan."
Zhu Zongting heard this and asked: "If we go by what Wang Juren said, we only need to let the merchants know that there is immediate profit."
"Then if his interests
What about bigger? "
"Where will the merchants transport the goods then?"
"We can't raise the price between our land and other lands, and the one with the higher price will get it, right?"
Wang Wenqing frowned and asked, "It is the nature of merchants to pursue profits."
"Is it possible that by giving it certain preferential treatment in Yan Land, we can make it give up huge benefits?"
"What does this have to do with whims?"
...
...
In the study room of the side hall of Chengyun Hall.
Xu Yi looked calmly at Wang Wenqing and Zhu Zongting, who were arguing.
From time to time, a look of serious listening flashed across his face.
See this.
Yang Xian'an, Fan Chongxian, and Song Yuanfu couldn't help but express their opinions one after another.
Time passed quietly in the dispute between the two parties.
Until dusk falls.
Both sides of the argument were dry and unable to argue anymore.
But even so.
Yang Xian'an, Zhu Zongting and other five people still failed to completely reach an agreement on this matter.
And the reason why the dispute is so fierce.
It's just a different starting point.
Or it can be understood that the two parties to the dispute each represent different interest groups.
in short.
Such as Yang Xianan and Wang Wenqing.
These two people came from Chang'an City.
There is nothing in Yan's land.
Therefore.
The two only have to consider whether the benefits outweigh the risks.
Zhu Zongting, Fan Chongxian, and Song Yuanfu were different.
These three people may be from local aristocratic families in Yandi, or they may be merchants themselves.
The merchants themselves were inseparable from the aristocratic families.
Therefore.
The three of them will subconsciously strive for certain benefits for aristocratic families and merchants.
Even if these benefits are only temporary.
This is human nature and cannot be avoided.
In the study room of the side hall of Chengyun Hall.
Seeing that all five of them were panting and unable to fight anymore.
Xu Yi poured five cups of tea calmly.
"sit."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After the five people sat down again and their breathing gradually stabilized.
Xu Yi chuckled and said, "Have you finished talking?"
Yang Xian'an and Zhu Zongting all lowered their heads when they heard this.
Act like you are listening with an open mind.
"Now that you have finished speaking."
"Then I'll tell you what I think."
Xu Yi chuckled and glanced at Yang Xian'an, Zhu Zongting and others.
The words are over.
Xu Yi's face gradually became more serious and he said, "In my humble opinion."
"In all dynasties, the most basic national policy has been to emphasize agriculture and suppress commerce."
"This move is certainly conducive to the long-term stability of the country."
in particular.
Emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce means that the rulers emphasize agriculture as the basis and industry and commerce as the last priority.
We advocate the small-scale peasant economy under natural economic conditions, and the country's finances are naturally based on the small-scale peasant economy.
In short, agriculture is the planting, breeding and other industries. ….
Commonly known as 'eating in the soil'.
Farmers put in labor and sweat on the land to harvest the food, clothing, housing and transportation that people need.
This is a production process from scratch.
The most important thing in this process is people and things.
That is people and land.
During this period, people also collaborated with each other.
But at the end of the day.
Relationships between people are secondary in the production process.
This characteristic of agricultural production directly creates the temperament of farmers.
That is to say, he is quick to act and receptive to words, diligent and simple, advocating hard work, etc.
And this is undoubtedly more beneficial to those in power
rule.
Looking back at business.
Does business have to be cunning?
Based on Xu Yi's experience, the answer to this question is undoubtedly yes.
However, those who can stick to their true intentions and remain unchanged in business are extremely rare.
It comes down to it.
Business cannot create wealth from scratch.
Unlike agricultural production, which mainly occurs between people and things.
Commercial activities mainly occur between people.
If you say it more harshly.
That is the calculation between people.
It is different from what farmers face: how to use labor to create new wealth.
Businessmen always face existing wealth in various forms.
Naturally, what businessmen are thinking about is how to take possession of the wealth they already have in front of them.
Therefore.
Agriculture can be a stabilizing factor for the country.
And business often becomes a destabilizing factor for the country.
If you don't interfere.
Then more and more people will abandon farming and engage in business in pursuit of more wealth and a better life.
The foundation of the country will gradually become loose and shaken.
In the end, it will completely disintegrate and fall apart.
In another time and space where Xu Yi lives.
Many people often only see that the suppression of commerce in the emphasis on agriculture affects market prosperity.
But we didn’t see the long-term historical trends.
In Xu Yi's opinion.
The reason why Middle-earth is the only civilization in human society that has continued since ancient times and has one continuous line.
The role played by the emphasis on agriculture and suppression of commerce cannot be underestimated.
That is, even though the last dynasty fell and the country fell into an extremely deep valley.
As long as the new dynasty restored order and re-established unity.
A country based on agriculture does not need to rely on any external conditions.
Such as trade routes.
Like the prosperity of other areas,
With only one man, one cow and one piece of land, men plowed and women weaved, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
It won't be long before the country comes out of its trough and becomes strong again.
...
...
The study room in the side hall of Chengyun Hall.
As Xu Yi's words fell to the ground.
Yang Xian'an and Wang Wenqing couldn't help but raise their heads slightly.
Zhu Zongting, Fan Chongxian, and Song Yuanfu could not help but lower their heads.
Xu Yi ignored the completely opposite actions of the five people.
The conversation changed and he continued, "But in my opinion."
"The essence of focusing on agriculture and suppressing commerce should be to build the foundation of the country on agriculture."
"At the same time, control the vicious expansion of business."
"It doesn't mean we don't want commerce, nor does it mean we only want agriculture."
As soon as this statement came out. ….
Yang Xian'an, Zhu Zongting, Wang Wenqing, Fan Chongxian, and Song Yuanfu all raised their heads.
He looked at Xu Yi with a puzzled face.
Seeing this, Xu Yi chuckled and shook his head.
Then he took out a slightly thick blue account book from under the desk.
The blue account book was clearly written with three big characters: "New Official Way."
Xu Yi placed a brand new book with the three characters "New Official Way" in front of the five people.
Then his face straightened and he said, "I made it clear before."
"Building new official roads is paving the way for Yan merchants."
"And Yan Shang is paving the way for collecting commercial taxes."
The words are over.
Xu Yi picked up the tea cup next to him and said no more.
When Yang Xian'an and Zhu Zongting saw this, they all stared thoughtfully at the book in front of them that read "New Official Way," in three big characters.
I do not know how long it has been.
Maybe one or two
hours.
Maybe a quarter of an hour or two.
Wang Wenqing was the first to come back from his reverie.
'hiss,.
When Wang Wenqing came back to his senses, he looked at Xu Yi with horror on his face and took a breath.
However, he did not wait for his words to confirm.
Suddenly, gasps of cold air could be heard one after another in the study room of the side hall of Chengyun Hall.
"Do you understand?"
Xu Yi asked with a chuckle upon seeing this.
"I figured it out."
Yang Xian'an and Zhu Zongting nodded in horror and replied.
"Now that I've figured it out."
"Then you should know how to do it, right?"
Xu Yi asked again with a chuckle.
"Go back to your lord."
"Build new official roads and unite merchants from aristocratic families to create Yan merchants."
"Invite merchants from other places to Yan."
"Paves the way for the implementation of commercial tax in the future."
Yang Xian'an, Zhu Zongting and other five people miraculously answered in unison.
In fact.
Xu Yi has already given the best choice between two account books, one thick and one thin.
The purpose of his vigorous construction of new official roads was to integrate the aristocratic families and powerful merchants in the Yan region.
Let it condense into a rope for its use.
And the name of this rope is "Yan Shang".
And every aristocratic family and powerful merchant has its own channels and network of relationships.
Once 'Yan Shang' comes to fruition, it will be completely implemented.
These channels and relationships will inevitably be used by Xu Yi.
By then.
Businessmen in these channels and relationships are bound to enter Yan continuously.
As for business tax?
Collection began the moment the new official road was officially put into use.
The amount of silver paid by merchants to enter the new officialdom.
And the convenience provided by the new stations along the way can be understood as a replica of the commercial tax.
in short.
One of the significances of the existence of the new government is to solve the problem that it is extremely difficult to collect commercial taxes today.
As for the unfavorable factors that are likely to arise when merchants become bigger?
Yang Xian'an, Zhu Zongting, Wang Wenqing, Fan Chongxian, Song Yuanfu and Lu Zaizhong who were far away in Guanzhong.
The objection of these six people is to prevent a certain merchant from becoming bigger and stronger.
As the saying goes: 'When money speaks, all truth remains silent. ,
'When the right speaks up, money becomes worthless. ,
There are a total of six people in charge of the three business and three powers established by Xu Yi.
What they cling to is the 'net of money, and the 'net of power'.
Ice tea is always there
