I'm really not doing business

Chapter 467: Ming’s only chance to break through the predicament
Lin Fucheng gave Zhu Yijun a big surprise. This time he came to Taibai Building just on the way. He heard that Wan Shihe was also there, so he came in to see the excitement. He was going to Yanxing Building to check the accounts. This issue of Suiyuan Chidao The ticket subscription for He Suiyuan Mining has ended, and all the cash has been transferred to the state funds to be used for the Chidao, Shengzhou and Womagang mines in Suiyuan that will start construction in the next year.

Lin Fucheng was a true freedom fighter. He not only made himself free, but also made the people of Ming Dynasty free together.

"Then what about the profit tax! This is nothing but money for the imperial court. Silver, copper, and coins are not allowed to come out of the Ming Dynasty. You, a sycophant, only know how to praise your Majesty, how dare you make such a noise!" The Hanlin of the hospital shouted loudly.

Zhu Yijun frowned and looked at Hanlin. This man had a bit of a drake voice. His voice was just unpleasant, and his words were also unpleasant.

What does it mean to sing praises to your Majesty? Randomly biting!
Does Lin Fucheng's words have anything to do with him as the emperor?
"Silver, red copper, coins, do you think the court is short of your few taels of silver?" Lin Fucheng sneered and said, "The court is really short of money. It just issues debts. Didn't you see that some time ago, 10 million silver was issued?" The special national debt didn’t even make a splash? Do you really think that the meat-eaters of the Ming Dynasty are short-sighted people like you?”

"The purpose of the court is just to prevent the silver from leaving the customs. If you take the goods out of the customs, who will stop you! What is it for? It is to circulate the silver flowing into the Ming Dynasty. This is entirely for free trade!"

Hanlin Xiao Youliang waved his sleeves vigorously, slammed the table and stood up. He pointed at Lin Fucheng and said loudly: "Do you want to listen to what you said? These words are nonsense! The court competes with the people for profits and levies heavy taxes. You are so harsh on the people, how come you are free! Fortunately, you are still a great scholar of the Songjiang School!"

Lin Fucheng said calmly: "Look, you are in a hurry."

"Don't use dirty words to insult your gentleness. After all, you are a serious scholar and make people laugh."

Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Shihe, Wan Shihe looked at Wang Qian, and Wang Qian looked at the emperor. The three of them looked at each other with big eyes and small eyes. They were all a little stunned. The profit tax thing was proposed by the superior of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. At first, I never thought that anyone would associate profits tax with free trade.

The theory of freedom is to replenish it wherever it is needed. Pigsty does not need silver. When silver does not flow, the invisible hand of self-regulation of the market will fail; at this time, the visible hand of the court is needed to intervene.

"That's it." Lin Fucheng said calmly: "Some people do the beheading business, but no one cares about the loss-making business. That's the truth. It's unprofitable to die early and unprofitable. Why should Yanxinglou admit it? Why do you rush to grab tickets for Yuanchi Road?”

"I'd like to hear the details!" Wang Dexin raised her chest and raised her head. She couldn't teach Lin Fucheng a lesson today, nor could she lose completely. If even Lin Fucheng couldn't convince him, let alone persuade the court minister. His criticism of the court minister, It's just for no reason.

Lin Fucheng's face turned red, and he replied loudly: "The scale of thousands of years is vertical! The scale of the weaving bureaus spread all over the Ming Dynasty is horizontal! Vertical scale and horizontal scale lead to the same goal by different paths!"

Xiao Youliang thought and thought, and finally shook his head and said, "No more."

What Zheshe households in the Ming Dynasty liked most was to save money, hide it, and sleep on the money. This kind of conservatism is opposite to the more radical freedom.

Wang Dexin's brows knitted into knots. He shook his head and said, "I don't know. I didn't abandon Confucianism and go into business. How do I know?"

Lin Fucheng digressed.

"The profits tax is to prevent the outflow of silver, but not the outflow of goods. Do you have any questions?" Lin Fucheng looked at Xiao Youliang and asked.

Wang Qian said sincerely: "If Master Lin withdraws from the literary world, I will oppose it."

The official of the Ministry of Rites, Da Zongbo, Wan Shihe, did not hide his thoughts. He came to Taibailou to watch the excitement, thinking and reasoning. .

What liberals hate most is the visible big hand of the imperial court, which interferes too much.

"Don't judge him right or left! There is nothing wrong with what you said about the profits tax we are discussing, but what does it have to do with profits tax?" Xiao Youliang shouted loudly. Obviously, what Lin Fucheng said has no necessary connection with profits tax.

Makes sense!
Zhu Yijun also believed that the establishment of Chidao toll collection and banknote collection bureaus was undoubtedly related to highway robbery, but it had to be collected. It was related to the establishment and exploration of the commercial tax system of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, it had to be collected even if it was scolded. For this reason, Wang Chonggu and Wang Guo Guang and Wang Daokun were also scolded together.

"Only when silver circulates within the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty can the scale of all walks of life be guaranteed. Only by ensuring the scale of the industry can technology advance, costs can be reduced, and the advantage of commodities can be maintained. Only if we can maintain our advantages, our Ming Dynasty can trade freely! Yes! Standing in a superior position, we can seize all the barbarians in the world!"

"Master Lin understands free trade." Zhu Yijun leaned on the back of his chair and said to Wang Qian with certainty.

Lin Fucheng's logic is extremely rigorous. His theory of freedom has risen from individuals to the entire Ming Dynasty. Then personal interests have expanded to the interests of the Ming Dynasty. Then the Ming Dynasty must maintain its industrial scale in order to gain commodity advantages. This advantage is what I have. If you have nothing, you will not be easily replaced by others, and because you have a low cost, you will not be defeated by others through dumping.

The Songjiang School's theory of freedom is against burying money in a pigsty because money is not free.

Xiao Youliang thought again and again and said: "The world is prosperous, and it is naturally for profit. More importantly, if I have it but not him, he can only work so hard if he wants it."

“No matter how the Ming Dynasty waged war with the Red Mao Fan in Luzon, Cebu Islands, Mindanao, the Founders Islands, Old Port, or the Straits of Malacca, they were reluctant to stop trading with the Ming Dynasty, so they could only endure the interest, To endure the harsh terms of the court and continue trade is to bring benefits to the world. "

Lin Fucheng smiled but said nothing. He looked at the Confucian scholar and said, "Who are you?"

If you can't stalk or mess around, then you have no choice but to admit defeat.

"Wang Dexin, the Wang family of Zhangqiu, ranked sixth among the top two in the eighth year of Wanli! Hanlin Academy." Wang Dexin, a Confucian scholar, answered without any ambiguity.

"It's not that they don't want to, they think about it day and night but can't do it."

"Do you know how many years it will take for the new Chi Roads built in the Ming Dynasty to pay back their costs?" Lin Fucheng asked with a smile as he squinted his eyes.

This is Lin Fucheng's free trade. Any trade that is detrimental to Ming Dynasty is not free trade.

"Nah, that, the profits tax, even if what you say is reasonable! But recently the court decided to open a branch of banknote collection in Chidao! What does this have to do with freedom! You are barking in the people's newspaper, whitewashing the accumulation, and other The crime should be punished! Since ancient times, only bandits have said: I opened this road and planted this tree. If you want to go this way, you will leave the money to buy it." Another Confucian scholar stood up and asked loudly.

In the process of moving forward, people will always encounter many problems. In fact, it is difficult to find answers to these problems from the knowledge learned and past experiences. However, the theory of memetic pollution paradox provides an extremely The contradictory way of looking at problems can clear up the confusion that has been stagnated in the heart.

"Because of two words, scale!"

"It seems that they are deaf to what is happening outside the window and only focus on reading the books of sages. Do you know how the Taibai Tower under our feet became the No. 1 gold-selling cave in Beiya? It was the Yanxing Tower before." Lin Fucheng asked again. An unrelated question made Wang Dexin look confused.

Wang Dexin replied: "The Yanxing Building is no longer a place for fun, but more of a trading house."

Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. Although he heard something new, the connection between profits tax and free trade was not reflected at all.

"Why? Don't they know that the finished product is more profitable? Why don't they raise their own silkworms, plant their own mulberry trees, produce their own silk, and weave their own silk fabrics?"

It protects the scale of industry, guarantees employment, and guarantees basic personal freedom. There is no need to establish strong personal dependence production relations such as tenants, servants, eunuchs, and foreign wives.

"The Ming Dynasty has sufficient and profitable goods. This is the value of the assets."

"I have what others don't have. This advantage does not come out of thin air. It is an advantage accumulated through industry. Silk has been weaved in the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years. The wisdom and ingenuity of countless weavers have condensed the commodity advantages of silk. Mulberry trees, silkworm seeds , it’s not like it has never been taken away overseas. Even before, merchants in Thailand and Western countries bought raw silk from our country and weaved and dyed it themselves. But after the sea opened, Hongmao Fan could only buy finished products for forging. "

"After all, it's just the same thing." Wang Dexin sneered and waved his hand. He thought he had some high-level talk, but it was just repeating the same old tune. What's the point?
Lin Fucheng looked at Wang Dexin, shook his head and said, "You still don't understand what I mean."

Lin Fucheng watched thousands of sailboats racing by in Songjiang Mansion. He went north along the canal and traveled thousands of miles to see all kinds of conditions in the world. The world was hot and cold. The problems in his heart could no longer be solved by the past methods, and he couldn't figure out the solution. At this time, The invisible sledgehammer of Contradiction violently struck the steel seal of his thoughts.

Does it really matter if this thing is impossible to hit?
"Xiao Hanlin, let me ask you." Lin Fucheng asked with a smile: "You tell me, why did the large sailing ship from the West travel tens of thousands of miles across the ocean, endure the wrath of the sky and the tsunami, and come to our country? The shipping department of the city gave the money in exchange for silk, porcelain, tea, ships and other items? "

"That's true. You're right. Just because the Ming Dynasty has it but the Hongmao Fan doesn't, that's why they brought heavy silver into the Ming Dynasty." Lin Fucheng looked around and said, "This is the advantage, and where does this advantage come from?" Come? From assets.”

"Trade that is unfavorable to our Ming Dynasty is not free trade!"

"Fifty years." Lin Fucheng stretched out a hand and said: "When Suiyuan Chidao issued notes, he warned all speculators that this was not a short-term profitable project, and it was even unlikely to be profitable. To raise national debt was to In recognition of His Majesty’s commitment to keeping his promise, how about raising the Suiyuanchi Road ticket?”

"Fifty years, life may not last that long."

Wang Dexin frowned and said with a slight disdain: "Then why do the luxury households have to pledge money? It's not because the court has gathered sycophants to force these luxury households to pledge donations! Yin Zhengmao and Ling Yunyi are in Guangdong and Guangxi, tearing down the doors and moving Bed, killing people like hemp, forcing the gentry of Guangdong and Guangxi to pledge donations to increase military pay, all of this money was stolen by Yin Zhengmao! "

"It's exactly the same as today's luxury households who recognize the plan and travel far away!"

When Zhu Yijun heard this, he thought of something funny. The gentry in Guangdong and Guangxi were begging Ling Yunyi to go back! Ling Yunyi returned the favor, and Wang Jiaping, who was good at riddles, really made the Jin gentry go numb.

"So you are deaf to what is going on outside the window and only read the books of sages. Do you think that Duke Ming is the father of the Zhashe households? They must do whatever they are told to do? The only power to take away life and death is His Majesty's non-punishment. Taking their money is no different than killing them." Lin Fucheng sat up and said, "Will those Zheshe households in Xitucheng listen to the three party leaders? Or will they listen to your majesty?"

"They only listen to the sound of silver colliding."

"Zheshe households will settle accounts. I asked Yao Guangqi of the Yao family in Wuzhong, why did the Yao family agree to fund this transaction?"

"Yao Guangqi told me that the first is longevity. As long as the Ming Dynasty exists, Chidao will always be used. The second is the future. The Ming steam engine now has less than three horsepower, which is a huge waste and roars black smoke. But it will not always be From three horsepower to ten horsepower, everyone will be amazed at the changes it brings to commodity circulation."

"What if it has one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand or even one hundred thousand horsepower? How much cargo will it drag and flow day and night?"

"So, the recovery of the principal in fifty years is based on the current horsepower. If the horsepower of the steam engine gradually increases, the faster the growth rate! The cost of recovering the principal will be faster, and the profit will be faster."

"The ticket for a five-masted ocean crossing is only ten years at most. When the Ming Dynasty is here, Chidao is here."

"Do you understand?" Lin Fucheng couldn't understand this problem at first. The expansion of Yanxing Building, especially the ticket subscription of Suiyuan Chi Road, was something that no one expected, even Xitucheng and The merchants from Shanxi almost fought each other to grab tickets.

It's strange to be true.

But after Lin Fucheng understood the logic, he had to say that it was not unreasonable that these families had been passed down for hundreds of years, and not everyone was short-sighted.

In summary, that is fighting for the future. Even if you can't make money back, it doesn't matter. Anyway, part of the money raised is the dividend of the ship ticket.

Even if he really loses all his money, it doesn't actually matter, because since His Majesty activated Hai Rui, the Great Ming Sword, to take charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the way to send money to Duke Ming has been completely cut off, and the government has been bribed. Since there was no way to donate to the Ming Gongs, the Zheshe household was somewhat panicked. Even if they lost all their money, they could still be considered as complying with the decrees of His Majesty and the Ming Gongs.

When your Majesty kills pigs in the future, he will more or less think about everyone's loyalty to the emperor and the country, leaving some dignity for himself and a way out for the nine tribes.

This is the third reason and the biggest reason. Of course, Yao Guangqi did not explain to Lin Fucheng that the troubles of being powerful and right-wing are the same as the worries of scholar-bureaucrats.

"I understand." Wang Dexin thought over and over again, was defeated, and chose to admit defeat. He had already argued sophistry once, and if he continued to pester, he would be polite.

His sophistry was to argue with what Lin Fucheng said about silver circulation. In fact, Lin Fucheng could have used the silver circulation to explain the issue of 'robbery on the road' he raised, but Lin Fucheng didn't, and even though he had given up an arm, he still defeated Wang Dexin.

If we think about the problem of "robbery on the road" in terms of silver circulation, we will find that it is natural. The essence of silver circulation is the circulation of commodities, and this is also the inevitable result of the Ming Dynasty's transformation from a small peasant economy to a commodity economy. More and more roads need to be built. Only in this way can goods be communicated between different parts of the Ming Dynasty, allowing goods to circulate more frequently and promoting economic transformation.

The realization of this strategy is really about free trade. Lin Fucheng did not bully others, but answered from another angle.

It would be rude if Wang Dexin persisted.

"Soot!" Another Confucian scholar stood up and said loudly: "The Ministry of Works talks nicely, but it turns out that this year, before the cold winter, there is already soot everywhere. When the officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology asked, the Ministry of Works only said Know how to be vague and evasive, but you still don’t know when you ask, and we protect each other at every level!”

This question is very sharp and bold, because it names the Ministry of Industry and Wang Daokun. This is actually a very direct accusation.

"Don't you drink hot water? Don't you eat cooked food?" Lin Fucheng frowned and said, "Coal is the most important firewood to open the door."

"Coal is flesh, steel is bone, and people are blood. The Xishan Coal Bureau of the Coal and Steel Joint Venture is the sinews, bones and skin, the hope of Ming Dynasty, and the only opportunity to break through the predicament."

"The only opportunity." Lin Fucheng reconfirmed.

Only by transforming into a commodity economy can new production relations be established, and the relationship of strong personal dependence be truly transformed into a free employment relationship. The Xishan Coal Bureau of the Coal and Steel Joint Venture is the only opportunity.

All systems are based on current reality, not imagined or fabricated out of thin air. Otherwise, no matter how cleverly designed, it will be a fantasy system where the ideal country shines into reality and leads reality into the abyss. This has been proven countless times. historical proof.

"Master Lin, why is this the only opportunity?" Zhu Yijun was curious about how Lin Fucheng obtained this argument from the aspect of freedom.

"Where to start?" Lin Fucheng's expression was particularly sad. He looked at everyone and whispered: "Xishan Coal Bureau wants to pump water. No matter how we do it, we can only pump water to about three feet, and the lift cannot exceed three feet. , the reciprocating water pump of Minbao was modified from a bellows. Later, the Gewu Institute did a very strange experiment, pulling a copper ball; and later Jiao Hong, a doctor of Gewu Institute, discovered that air pressure and volume are inversely proportional; the president of the Institute King De invented the pressure cooker.”

"The Xishan Coal Bureau needed thousands of horses to pull windlass and winches to pull water. Later, they finally got the reciprocating steam engine."

"It has been eight years since the people's newspaper discussed the water pump in the second year of Wanli. The steam engine started from scratch, and the reciprocating steam engine finally came out. Even though His Highness King De insisted on the high-pressure steam turbine route, His Highness has never denied the reciprocating steam engine route. , and even gave great support.”

"Why is the Xishan Coal Bureau of the Coal and Steel Joint Venture the only opportunity to break the situation? Because the steam engine is a miracle and the most reliable driving force for the advancement of the Ming Dynasty. I can't imagine a more reliable driving force."

Lin Fucheng read for a long time, talking about the coal output of Xishan Coal Bureau, the steel output, the woolen official factory, and the steam drying in the shipyard. He was actually not sure what he wanted to express, but Zhu Yijun understood.

Lin Fucheng is a productivity-only theory. He believes that when productivity is achieved, everyone will be free, that is, everyone can be unfettered.

The steam engine was the most important thing in realizing his utopia, the revolution in productivity.

His theory is completely logically self-consistent.

Zhu Yijun nodded and signaled Lin Fucheng to continue his performance. He fully recognized Lin Fucheng's views. The Ming Dynasty was slowly entering the era of productivity revolution, and the steam engine was booming on the basis of the coal and steel joint venture.

Yes, after material abundance, more people will be educated, more talents will be cultivated, and more technological progress will be achieved, and materials will become richer. This will be a virtuous cycle.

It took Zhu Yijun ten years to reach this point. He stumbled to this step under the guidance of Zhang Juzheng, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, Tan Lun, Wang Guoguang and even Wang Chonggu.

"Huh, it's good that Lin Fucheng came out." Wan Shihe sat on the seat in the Tianzi box, not paying much attention to the verbal battle among the scholars in the audience, because Lin Fucheng would not lose.

The past few months when Lin Fucheng was in trouble were indeed difficult, but he still finished reading those difficult books, and even conducted practical investigations and visited the Xishan Coal Bureau and the Woolen Official Factory. Based on his own experience of traveling thousands of miles, He became a great Confucian who established a meeting to give lectures.

"Are you under any pressure, Uncle Zong? Recently, there have been memorials criticizing the Great Situ and the Great Sikong." Zhu Yijun looked at Wan Shihe's relieved look and asked with a smile.

Wan Shihe shook his head and said: "That's not true. If I take action in this debate, it will not be beautiful."

Don't challenge Wan Shihe on the matter of sweeping the water and washing the ground. Wan Shihe has not taken action yet. Once he takes action, he will definitely calm down the storm. However, Wan Shihe, who has been labeled as an imperialist party, may have the opposite effect. If we can't discuss it openly, we will join hands in private, which is even more dangerous at that time.

But now, the Songjiang Liberal School is charging ahead. This is a battle of popular power and public opinion, and the court can handle this matter more easily.

This is the result Wan Shihe wants to see most.

"Your Majesty, there is something. The Ministry of Industry has submitted a memorial, saying that the glass in the Harmony Palace should be replaced. Your Majesty has refused." Wan Shihe instead talked about an incident in the court. Wang Daokun asked Wan Shi and His Majesty What exactly does it mean to reject this proposal.

Wang Daokun was trapped in the wind and public opinion. He did not dare to face the emperor rashly or ask questions. Firstly, he did not know what the emperor meant. Secondly, he was suspected of protecting Xingjin. He had already been criticized for gathering treacherous ministers, plus a Fortunately, Wang Daokun will become a marginalized person like Guo Chaobin before in the court.

The Holy Family is a killing move that will only be activated when there is a last resort. Moreover, after Wang Daokun returned to Beijing, he was always causing trouble for His Majesty. How can he be the Holy Family without achieving even an inch of success?

Therefore, Wang Daokun could only find Wan Shihe. Wan Shihe, a die-hard imperialist, was the golden balm in the court. He might be used at some point.

"It's too expensive." Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "It was only completed in July of the seventh year of Wanli. I watched Tonghe Palace as a colorful and indistinguishable heavenly palace. It has not been more than three years since it was as magnificent as before, but I wanted to destroy it. If there is more decoration, does it mean that the regulations are not in place? It’s not right, sir, I’m afraid you’ll have to persuade me to be frugal again.”

Wan Shihe immediately said: "Mr. Yuan Fu has not advised His Majesty to be frugal in six years. Moreover, this time the replacement of glass and glazed tiles in Tonghe Palace was initiated by Mr. Yuan Fu under the leadership of the Ministry of Works. It is related to the face of the Ming Dynasty. Please consider it."

"too expensive."

Wan Shihe still insisted, bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, the total is less than five thousand taels."

"There are almost a thousand horses, why should we replace them if they can be used?" Zhu Yijun was a little confused as to why Wan Shihe was so insistent.

"Your Majesty pays homage to you, and the world will act accordingly. If your Majesty does not use it, the world will not be able to use it." Wan Shihe finally said this. New glass is a new technology. Such a good thing, even the Ming Emperor If it is not used, whoever uses it next will be guilty of transgression.

Under the framework of the Ming Dynasty's monarchs and ministers, since the emperor's Tonghe Palace and the imperial palace are equipped with glass, the best must be used in terms of etiquette and law.

This time it is indeed a new process. Craftsmen in the glass factory affiliated to the Ministry of Industry have invented a new furnace that separates the magnetically selected glass raw materials from the smoke and fire of coal burning, and mass-produces flat glass. , and the engineering department used rubber strips to make the glass seal better.

Good sealing equals better insulation, which is good for expanding north.

"In this case, let's change it." Zhu Yijun said with a pained face, five thousand taels of silver, twenty-five thousand kilograms of pork.

Wan Shihe said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, Da Situ said that the national funds will provide this money."

"You should have said it earlier." Zhu Yijun's expression immediately returned to calmness. If he had said someone would pay for it, he would have agreed to it. Why would he use it to do Tai Chi?
Seeing that His Majesty was in a good mood, Wang Qian thought over and over again and said: "Your Majesty, can the Chi Road be built only by the imperial court? After all, the imperial court has limited manpower, so why not delegate power to various localities and buy it to merchants, and how about the merchants raise funds to build it?"

Suiyuan Chidao carried out ticket approval, but the management and ownership rights were firmly controlled by the court. In the Renren Shipowner Plan, shipowners could not directly interfere in the operation.

What Wang Qian meant was that the imperial court was not omnipotent after all. On the one hand, it had to limit redundant personnel to resist bloat, and on the other hand, it needed mileage. It would be better to delegate all power to the local governments except for the main roads, so that they could buy merchants and speed up the development of the roads. Construction speed.

"Wang Yushi, have you ever asked your father about this idea?" Wan Shihe asked with the corner of his mouth twitching after hearing this.

Wang Qian said without knowing why: "No."

"Thank you for not asking. If you had asked, we wouldn't have been able to see Wang Yushi." Zhu Yijun spread his hands and looked at Wan Shihe and said with a smile.

"Hahaha!" Wan Shihe, Zhu Yijun, Feng Bao and Zhang Hong all laughed happily.

Wang Qian's proposal looks beautiful, but when implemented, it will lead to the separatism of feudal towns.

(End of this chapter)