Chapter 66: Renewed debate
In his article, Ding Xian wrote about the beginning of the sea. Several big changes.
First, there is an inversion of superiority and inferiority.
There is a backend behind every big businessman on the sea. Today, there are still very few private maritime merchants. But it's not nothing. But even without a backstage, there are hundreds or thousands of brothers overseas. Even a country overseas can do nothing. Come to hometown. How can you listen to a county magistrate with peace of mind?
Well, this big businessman is afraid of the government and is willing to listen to the county magistrate. Give respect. Of course they must obey the original gentry and gentry. But it's impossible.
The Ming Dynasty ruled the world, or the Confucian system ruled the world. It was through the class of scholar-bureaucrats that one could enter the imperial court. You can stay in the countryside. The emperor only needs to rule the world together with the scholar-bureaucrats. Only then can we have a stable position. But businessmen rise. broke the situation.
This made many scholar-bureaucrats uncomfortable.
Second, putting the cart before the horse.
The foundation here is agriculture. The end is business.
Because of the expansion of maritime demand, though. Jiangnan already has many places along the coast. It is impossible to expand production capacity on a large scale like He Xi did in Liaodong. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t expanded. The two most typical things are to change rice fields into mulberry fields and to change rice fields into cotton fields.
Here, Ding Xian fully illustrates this point with data.
I chose a county in Jiangnan. List the rice cultivation area in recent years. I made a chart and it was obvious that it was getting worse.
More importantly, Ding Xian talked about the severe drought in Shandong. He even pointed out that Shandong has always been a major cotton export province. Severe drought today. Famine occurs. Is it just a natural disaster, not a man-made disaster?
For a while, Ding Xian couldn't get Shandong's data. After all, there is a lot of data these days that cannot be known by just looking through it on a computer. More likely, there is no such survey on how many various crops are grown. However, Jiangnan is close to the capital. Only Ding Xian can know these data.
In addition, some of these data come from Mingjiantang.
That's what He Xi's disciples and grandchildren did. Ding Xian took it out and used it.
Ding Xian pointed out that this is putting the cart before the horse. This caused a food crisis, causing countless people to flee to the sea, and there were not enough people to grow food. It’s been a long time. It’s not just food shortages. The royal court's taxes are no longer enough. At that time, it will be the end of a country without a country.
Third, resort to militarism.
He pointed out the wars at sea over the years, as well as the various consumption and casualties. Here, Ding Xian used a little trick. He only writes about losses. It does not describe what Ming Dynasty obtained from the sea. Don't say anything else. The tariff alone amounts to millions of taels.
According to his description, all Ming Dynasty's overseas actions were for personal gain and affected the stability of the court. Disrupt the order of the court.
Ding Xian's words are so in line with Fang Xiaoru's wishes.
Fang Xiaoru saw that the opportunity was to compete with He Xi again.
He Xi had a dispute with Confucianism before. In fact, He Xi won.
Originally, it was not about who would win or lose in terms of ideas, but who could solve the problem. That's what matters most. It is also what Zhu Yuanzhang values most. Of course, Fang Xiaoru didn't know the underlying reasons behind this. He only analyzes the problem based on various information on the surface.
During his time in the Imperial College, many of the things He Xi proposed are becoming reality. Overseas feudalism has solved the problem of vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty. Various countermeasures on the grassland. Although it has not been implemented yet. But now it seems that it is not just talking.
But Confucianism is not so good when facing new things and various solutions. We can only stick to the wisdom left by our predecessors and remain complacent.
Now Fang Xiaoru has been thinking about it for a long time. sprouted in the heart. He thought secretly: "These methods are actually very effective. Today, we can use law as Confucianism, and today we can also use history as Confucianism."
What is Confucianism?
This is what Fang Xiaoru has been thinking about over the years. In his opinion, the most important thing about Confucianism is not the specific methods. Or form of expression. It’s not a theory of temperament, or studying things to gain knowledge. But to govern. The emperor has no relatives, only virtue is his assistant. A benevolent person loves others and governs the country. Just establish this principle. By what means. How to implement it specifically. It doesn't really matter.
Of course, this also requires some theoretical creation. How to integrate He Xi’s thoughts and methodology. Crushed into pieces in Confucianism.
Fang Xiaoru has been thinking about it, and now he seems to have some inspiration.
And this inspiration comes from Ding Xian.
Ding shows his personal character, Fang Xiaoru is not worthy of it. But Ding Xian did get He Xi's true biography. It is enough to make up for the shortcomings of Confucianism. Just this article. It’s not that many Confucian scholars don’t know what’s happening along the coast and south of the Yangtze River. But asking them to write it out is completely different from Ding Xian writing it out.
Fang Xiaoru looked at Ding Xian's article, with thoughts flying in her heart, and said: "Such a good article. How can we not let the world appreciate it? Don't worry, leave this matter to me."
Immediately, Fang Xiaoru wrote up this article. Went to the East Palace in a hurry.
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The prince held Ding Xian's article. It was motionless, like a sculpture.
Because the prince felt more from Ding Xian's article. He even knows how things will turn out below. Although the volume of trade is increasing. A large number of laborers moved from farmland to industry or other sectors. Finally, it evolved into a large number of factories, the population moved from rural areas to cities, and politically, capitalists replaced scholar-officials as the most powerful force.
But amid this earth-shaking change. Where is the royal family?
Compared with the conservatism of farming civilization, the capital world is a subject of drastic change, and once it is not handled well. It is normal for the crown to fall to the ground.
Is this really what he wants?
The prince was in a trance and saw countless red flags rushing into Nanjing City. He stood at the Fengtian Gate, but he could do nothing.
"Your Highness, Your Highness." Fang Xiaoru called softly.
The prince woke up suddenly, sweating slightly on his forehead. He said: "I will send this article to my father."
The prince's fear and anxiety are actually easy to understand. The prince has read many books about the future. But he felt that that was the future. As for how long this future will be, the prince has not made a judgment. But I feel that I should never meet him. Maybe it’s a matter for future generations.
But it all changed too quickly.
The prince seemed to feel that in the blink of an eye. The future has quietly happened. Right before our eyes, this feeling is like whether artificial intelligence is intelligent. Before, it was a concept and proposition in science fiction. Suddenly it became a realistic proposition.
Then the mechanical revolution and the captivity of human beings naturally caused this kind of worry.
This article was not what he cared about. But this trend.
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In the Qianqing Palace.
Zhu Yuanzhang read this article and said, "Not bad. Let Ding Xian publish it."
The prince said: "Father, I am not here to ask this. I am worried that this is too fast."
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned and said: "Fast? I still think it's too slow. If you don't know, haste makes waste. I want to go faster."
Zhu Yuanzhang is different from the prince. Zhu Yuanzhang knows very well that he does not have much time. He really wanted to see the coming of the future society before he died. But he also knew that this was impossible. During He Xi's six or seven years, he only cultivated a bud.
If you walk too fast, you'll get hurt.
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care, and Ding Xian published this article. Opposition to the opening of the sea. Because there is no need for him to worry about this matter. Although the imperial court profited from maritime trade, it was not too much. The bulk of the real profits come from the noble families.
Ding Xian touched these cakes. Why did Zhu Yuanzhang protect them from wind and rain?
Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that there would inevitably be differences in the direction of future development. It was useless if he pressed hard. This is a battle of interests. Battle of routes. It always has to be turned out. Zhu Yuanzhang also wanted to see if some distinguished nobles had the consciousness of being capitalists after making money at sea.
What is self-conscious is that you have made money and you still feel that what you said is right.
if so. Zhu Yuanzhang felt like he was kicking his legs. Confucianism immediately turned the situation over. If they have this consciousness, then they should support certain schools of thought that support them in making money at sea.
Needless to say. That's right, He Xi's group.
If you have such a conscious noble, you can naturally stay. If you don't have such a conscious noble, Zhu Yuanzhang will not kill him. Zhu Yuanzhang has not been so murderous in recent years. But marginalization is inevitable.
