It's just that this third step seems to be a little far away now. Saying it rashly seems a bit too bold, even too ambitious, and you need to think carefully.
Seeing Feng Ziying silently holding the cup, Guan Yingzhen did not press him.
When the strategy of opening up the sea was brought up, this person must have had some calculations, but later on, more and more content was added, which probably exceeded Feng Ziying's expectations.
It is estimated that many things were slowly spread out, only to find that a piece was missing here and a piece was missing there. They were slowly filled in and filled up, so that they could support a policy outline that could be regarded as the largest since Emperor Yonglong ascended the throne.
However, in Feng Ziying's view, this is not a policy outline at all. It is purely an emergency countermeasure. The first was to solve the counter-insurgency and land restoration strategies in Western Xinjiang, and the second was to solve the nine-border strategy, especially the Liaodong strategy. Security, and then finally connected sea trade with debt and taxation, forming such a four-dimensional picture.
The imperial court in this era basically had no decent strategy for governing the country, let alone the purposeful strategy of modern national governance, which consisted of collecting information - investigating and researching - putting forward administrative opinions - concrete implementation - comparison and feedback - revision and improvement. ——It is basically impossible to summarize this kind of governance method, or it is more like a simple inertial action. Some steps meet some of the links, but in fact there is no real initiative to take measures to fundamentally solve the problem. .
Basically, emergency management is adopted, following the previous system. If there are difficult problems, we will find ways to solve them. If there are no special problems, we will make do with it. It is more like a small country with few people and a rule of inaction, but a country as vast as Zhou Dynasty has a vast territory. How could a vast empire thousands of miles away be solved by inaction?
"Master, well, if you ask for such a request, if the disciple shirks the blame or talks about him, it may appear that he doesn't respect you. But in the past two years, the disciple has been to Western Xinjiang and Jiangnan, and he has also been in the Hanlin Academy. I have had a lot of contacts, and even communicated with the cabinet ministers and many colleagues in the six ministries. I do have some ideas, and I hope to incorporate some of them into the strategy of opening up the sea."
Feng Ziying sorted out her thoughts. Guan Yingzhen was a more realistic person. He was somewhat different from Qi Yongtai, who was slightly idealistic and honest, and Qiao Yingjia, who was realistic and slightly philistine. He paid attention to both heart and deeds.
"Before answering your question, can I ask you a few questions first?" Feng Ziying said suddenly.
After Guan Yingzhen was startled, he smiled to himself, "Well, isn't it right for a student to ask a teacher? But when Ziying said this, it must be a difficult or difficult question to answer. Well, a teacher knows everything he knows. , or let’s just answer from the teacher’s point of view.”
"What do the officials think of the current situation in Da Zhou?"
Guan Yingzhen had expected Feng Ziying's question, and replied calmly: "It can't be said that it is in danger, it can also be said that it is difficult to move forward."
Seeing that Feng Ziying was a little disapproving, Guan Yingzhen knew that the other party thought he was too optimistic, but he still insisted on his own point of view. The foundation of Dazhou was still there. Even though there were many problems, they were not out of control.
Feng Ziying continued to ask: "What do the officials think are the main dangers?"
Guan Yingzhen did not hesitate, "The external Jurchen threat to Jianzhou is increasing day by day. The Tatars are still powerful. Although they are not obvious now, but once they regain their breath or meet the master of one or two bears and tigers, they will become a big Zhou elbow and armpit." There are many dangers, but these are not the most dangerous, including the Great Zhou crisis."
"Oh?" Feng Ziying's face was calm.
"The imperial court's financial resources were depleted, but the food and salary for the Nine Borders were increasing day by day. The land annexation in various places was becoming more and more frequent, and the people's taxes were becoming increasingly heavy. This led to many common people to join the gentry, and the wealthy gentry hid the land and population. This in turn caused the imperial court's income to decrease day by day. In addition, The population is increasing and the weather in the North has been mostly bad in the past twenty years, with constant floods and droughts. If there are one or two major disasters and the court's inability to provide relief, it may lead to great chaos..."
Guan Yingzhen paused and said, "The Ningxia rebellion, if not handled well by the imperial court, would have resulted in an uncontrollable disaster. But even so, holes have been dug and must be filled. If not, the imperial court would not have started." Hai borrowed money to seek change.”
"Master, are there any more?"
Guan Yingzhen hesitated for a moment, "The relationship between the Supreme Emperor and Prince Yi Zhong and the Emperor is complicated and confusing, which is also a hidden worry."
He didn’t say much, but Feng Ziying understood it instantly.
"Then what is the main cause of these situations?" Feng Ziying asked again.
This question is somewhat difficult to answer.
Guan Yingzhen did not avoid it, and he did not intend to avoid it in front of his own disciple.
Now that you have become an official, you will inevitably encounter these things. If you don't even dare to face them directly, why do you talk about doing anything?
"For many reasons, the weather conditions in the North have been really bad in the past twenty years. There have been droughts for almost seven years in ten years. The people's strength has been exhausted, while foreign enemies have continued to expand, such as the Jurchens, and the Japanese Rebellion of Renchen has also brought a great burden to the court. , Well, there is another reason. In the later period of his reign, the Supreme Emperor neglected government affairs and was excessively extravagant, which directly led to the mediocrity of officials in the court and the corruption of ink..."
This official dared to say that Feng Ziying admired him more.
"Population growth has also brought about some problems. In some places, there are more people and less land, such as Fujian..., and the yield of rice and wheat per acre has not increased significantly since the Ming Dynasty, which also forces the people to find more ways to make a living..."
That's almost it. Feng Ziying's perception of Guan Yingzhen has deepened. She is aware of the long-term impact of unfavorable weather conditions, can see the pressure brought by population growth, and dares to speak out about the consequences of the neglectful and desolate administration of Emperor Yuanxi in the middle and late period. The harm done is enough to show that Guan Yingzhen has the level of a qualified official.
"Master, what you said is what I have learned through observation, but I think the key lies in two points. The tax revenue of the imperial court is decreasing instead of increasing, and the people are suffering from increasing conflicts, and the pressure on border defense is increasing day by day. The contradiction between the increase in food and salary and the increasingly depleting fiscal revenue of the imperial court is actually a problem if analyzed carefully. The population of the people is increasing, but the food, cloth and other basic needs of life to meet the needs of the people are increasing. Weakness, once there are natural disasters, rebellions, wars, etc., it will immediately detonate and break the string that is already very tight."
Guan Yingzhen took a deep breath, "Do you think opening the sea can solve these problems?"
"It cannot fundamentally solve it, but it can alleviate it, or buy us some time to find a solution, or in other words, to solve the problem we just mentioned, multiple strategies are needed. Not one method or strategy can completely solve it. ." Feng Ziying shook her head.
"Oh?" Guan Yingzhen raised his eyebrows.
"For example, opening up the sea can expand maritime trade, increase the court's tax revenue, relieve the pressure on the treasury, and at the same time open up the Denglai-Korea-Ezo-Haisi and Barbarian Jurchen trade routes, and support the Haixi and Barbarian Jurchen raids on Jianzhou The Jurchen rear can reduce the pressure on our frontal battlefield in Liaodong and buy us time. The expansion of Eastern Fan and even the Ezo Territory can, to a certain extent, reduce the pressure on refugees in areas that have suffered natural disasters for a long time..."
Guan Yingzhen interrupted Feng Ziying, "Ziying, what you call winning time, then I would like to ask, what can we do to win time? How to change the current increasingly difficult situation?"
Guan Yingzhen got the point when he asked.
Feng Ziying always said that time is gained. If time is gained, what can be done and how can we improve the predicament?
The situation is getting worse and worse. Even if the Jianzhou Jurchen offensive can be suppressed through harassment by the Haixi and Barbarian Jurchens, or even peace with the Mongolian left wing, what can it do?
It is still difficult for ordinary people to make a living. If there is any natural or man-made disaster, they may be in dire straits. And if monsters like the White Lotus Sect fan the flames, there may be another rebellion.
"What the officials want to ask is how to solve the growing tax needs of the imperial court and the increasingly difficult and difficult living conditions of the people. Well, a large part of it is the contradiction between the increasing taxes, right?" Feng Ziying said calmly.
Feng Ziying also hit the nail on the head. In fact, this problem has been explained too much in online forums in previous lives. In the final analysis, it is a problem encountered in the development of productivity and production relations.
According to the traditional theory, it is the reincarnation of dynasties. Natural disasters, plagues, and wars take turns to reduce the population sharply, and then the winner is king and the new dynasty continues; or it is to reform the productive production system and expand overseas cultivation and accumulation. Combined approaches to alleviate domestic conflicts.
Of course no one is willing to take the former option, but is the latter feasible in Dazhou?
In the previous life, Zhang Juzheng's reforms also failed in the middle way and extended the life of the Ming Dynasty for decades. But can the Zhou Dynasty do it now?
I'm afraid it's not enough to just clear the land. You have to go through Yongzheng's method of dividing land into acres, which may be able to relieve the pressure. However, if you take this path, I'm afraid that on the one hand, it will intensify conflicts at the upper level, and on the other hand, it will not lead to the direction that could have been taken. Are the changes in the productive relations of production that bud capitalism interrupted and delayed? Or is it an improvement path that combines the two organically?
Feng Ziying felt that if she wanted to follow Zhang Juzheng's path, she might not be able to do it without twenty years of time to build up her ambitions.
But can Da Zhou survive twenty years?
Without the continuation of reforms like that of Zhang Juzheng of the Ming Dynasty in the previous life, the rise of the Jianzhou Jurchens seems to be more fierce than in the previous life, but the Little Glacier comes more frequently, and Feng Ziying is really not sure whether she can survive it.
So even if I can't do it now, I still have to point out a way for the people I can influence and push them to try it first. Maybe in the future, I can stand on the shoulders of giants and add some strength to pick up a fallen peach?
It's a beautiful thought, but Feng Ziying knows very well that she probably has a lot to do.
"Master, I have two ideas. It depends on what time and what you think should be done." After Feng Ziying thought through it, he told her calmly.
