I'm really not doing business

Chapter 631: I leave you in the court for the sake of the people of the world

In July of the twelfth year of the Wanli reign, the heat was unbearable, but the imperial study in Tonghe Palace was very cool. This was because the emperor's need to cool down was fully taken into consideration when the entire imperial study was built. From the beginning of the design, it imitated the design of the Ziyu Pavilion and used water circulation for cooling.

The design of the cool hall such as Ziyu Pavilion originated from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties and reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had a famous Ziyu Hall.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is dealing with memorials.

Shen Yikuan, the governor of the three borders of Shaanxi, reported to the court that Gansu had re-established two of the seven guards in Guanxi, and the construction of Shazhou Guard and Anding Guard had been completed. The two guards were both outside Jiayu Pass. From the proposal of re-establishment to the mobilization of Han people outside the pass and the entrustment of Gansu Zhenjuntun Guard to defend and build, the two guards were finally completed. There were a total of 27 barracks and forts in the two guards, and two cities with a circumference of ten miles.

This meant that after years of preparation, the Ming Dynasty had finally begun to reopen the Western Regions. The two guards and Jiayuguan supported each other. While defending Jiayuguan, the Ming Dynasty switched from a completely defensive to an offensive stance towards the Western Regions.

The Seven Guards of Guanxi, the vaguely visible territory of the Ming Dynasty, lit up again.

Shen Yikuan mentioned something in his memorial, that is, there were some trade problems in Gansu. Merchants from the heartland of the Ming Dynasty went to Gansu. Although the Silk Road was almost extinct, there were still merchants from the Western Regions who came to Jiayuguan.

The Ming Dynasty also had merchants from the hinterland who purchased various goods in Jiayuguan. Some popular goods would be booked in advance and a portion of the deposit would be paid.

However, merchants from the Western Regions generally liked to breach contracts. The originally agreed delivery time was delayed; the originally agreed goods were shipped to other companies because they offered better prices elsewhere; the originally agreed prices were raised arbitrarily because the prices of commercial goods rose; and there was also the phenomenon of forced buying and selling, which led to more than one armed conflict. Fighting was just a minor matter, and deaths were not uncommon.

The widespread breach of contract made the merchants miserable. They were outsiders who had come here from thousands of miles away, and the widespread breach of contract made the merchants even more reluctant to come. This was also one of the reasons for the decline of the Silk Road.

In the eleventh year of the Wanli reign, the number of Hu merchants actually exceeded that of hinterland merchants. This inversion caught Shen Yikuan off guard.

The solution proposed by Shen Yikuan was to set up supervisory officials in the mutual trade market to make the agreements between the merchants fair. In other words, the contracts that merchants originally had in two copies were now in three copies. If the contract was violated, the qualification for mutual trade would be revoked after verification. This disqualification was of a penetrating nature, not just a certain merchant, but the tribe behind the merchant, all of which were on the list of those prohibited from mutual trade.

The ban on trade, which lasted for a period of time ranging from one year to three to five years, and the presence of the Gansu Zhenjun Guard, effectively curbed the trend of breach of contract.

This is clearly the court's visible hand, which has once again penetrated deeply into the market's control.

"This is a good idea. Send a letter to Songjiang Prefecture and let Shen Shixing learn from it." Zhu Yijun highly recognized Shen Yiquan's ability, and this method can be used as a reference. When the Ming Dynasty opened the sea, there were five Maritime Customs Offices. Due to the special nature of maritime trade, the phenomenon of breach of contract was not very serious, but it is still meaningful for reference."

"Yes." Feng Bao picked up the pen and quickly wrote down His Majesty's order. After His Majesty finished handling government affairs, Feng Bao would go to the half-room and ask the Imperial Household Department to carry out the order.

Ningyuan Hou, Liaodong General Li Chengliang, and Liaodong Governor Hou Yuzhao sent memorials to celebrate the completion of the highway from Liaodong to Fushun Pass. This highway was 260 miles long and passed through Shenyang Zhongwei to reach Fushun. The total cost of this highway, including labor, materials, etc., cost the court more than 280 million silver coins to build.

The completion of this highway meant that if there was any change in Fushun, the troops of Liaodong Regional Command and Liaoyang Town could rush to Fushun within one day, regardless of cold, heat, wind or rain. This was of vital importance to the strategic security of Liaodong.

The fulcrums of the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong are Guangning, Liaoyang, Shenyang Zhongwei, Tieling, and Fushun. As long as these five places are connected by highways, even if the battle is lost, troops can be transferred from the inland in time to prevent the enemy from expanding their gains.

Li Chengliang did not expand the territory this year, but chose to digest the land he had already acquired and opened up more than 30,000 hectares of fertile land around Jilin in order to further expand the territory.

"As of June this year, a total of 22,000 households and more than 50,000 people have been relocated to Liaodong. Since the fourth year of Wanli, the total number of refugees relocated to Liaodong has exceeded 100,000 households and 430,000 people." Zhu Yijun said with emotion: "Loyal to the emperor and the country, Hou Yu Zhao has done a good job."

This is a process of increasing over the years. When the farming just started in the fourth year of Wanli, there were only 2,000 households and less than 5,000 Han people migrating to Liaodong in the first year. By the twelfth year of Wanli, the number exceeded 20,000 households in the first half of the year alone. However, the growth rate has obviously slowed down and stabilized.

The vast and fertile black soil provided a guarantee of survival for these hardworking people who migrated there.

There was a problem in Liaodong that had been a headache for Li Chengliang since the beginning, that was that there were too few Han people among the Liao people.

The Liao people included Tatars, Jurchens, Outer Khalkhas and Han people. Except in the jurisdiction of Liaodong Regional Military Commission, the Han people did not have a numerical advantage. This was the most difficult problem in the development of Liaodong. Now, with the development of land, more and more Han people migrated to Liaodong, making the foundation of Ming Dynasty's development in Liaodong more solid.

Since the middle of the Wanli period, when Gao Huai rebelled against Liao, the Han people either fled back to the interior or defected to the Tatars, Jurchens, and Outer Khalkha and became Han people. The number of Han people among the Liao people further decreased. By the time of Huang Taiji, he turned the Liao people into Manchus. From then on, the Ming Dynasty's conquests in Liaodong became battles fought in a foreign land.

Zhu Yijun commended the Fifth Engineer Corps. The reward was not much this time, only five silver coins per person, but the Fifth Engineer Corps had 30,000 people, so this was a reward of 150,000 silver coins.

"Every time a Korean envoy comes, we have to give him more than 100,000 silver coins. Wouldn't it be better to use this money to give to the engineers? The writers of the Ming Dynasty criticize me all day long for preferring to trade with foreign countries than with domestic slaves. Tribute trade is the real preference for dealing with foreign countries rather than with domestic slaves, and I have never seen them criticize tribute trade." Zhu Yijun picked up another memorial and complained about the bad nature of the despicable Confucian scholars.

The inferior Confucian scholars seek to appease distant people, so they turn a blind eye to the drawbacks of tribute trade. It would be a miracle if political activities and economic and trade activities could be mixed together and done well.

Songjiang Governor Shen Shixing finally completed the implementation of the Single Whip Law in Songjiang Prefecture. According to the discussion of the court officials, Shen Shixing was promoted one level. Because of the problem with his teacher, he was demoted three levels, and there were still two levels to go.

The successful implementation of the Single Whip Law does not mean that the Ming Dynasty will promote it throughout the country. It must continue to be implemented in Songjiang Prefecture, and then take action after summarizing the experience.

The Ministry of Revenue combined the experience of Songjiang Prefecture and provided standards for the implementation of the Single Whip System.

The Single Whip Law has a basic foundation only in places where the per capita silver holdings exceed five taels; it can be gradually implemented only in places where the land acreage and land registration have been completely clarified and the slave system has been abolished; and only when the land is returned can the Single Whip Law be recognized by everyone.

Just taking the first item, the abundance of silver, there are actually not many places that have reached this abundance. Among the five major maritime customs offices and the fourteen prefectures of the Southern Court, only seven prefectures, three prefectures in Zhejiang, and even the Northern Court's capital have not reached this standard. The main reason is that as an important city in the north, the Northern Court has an extremely serious population siphoning effect and there are too many people.

Of course, if the mountain of silver piled up in the treasury was evenly distributed, the standard could be met, but the Ministry of Revenue did not evenly distribute your Majesty's silver. Your Majesty's silver belongs to you, and it is a grace from God to use it to support emergencies in the national treasury.

Shanghai County Magistrate Yao Guangqi submitted a memorial on behalf of his father-in-law Wang Chongyi, hoping that the court would allow Wang Chongyi an official burial. An official burial does not mean a posthumous title, nor is it an official appointment by imperial favor. It is just a special honor, an honor recorded in history, and can be regarded as an affirmation of Wang Chongyi by the court. The only problem here is that Wang Chongyi was a businessman without any official title, which was not in accordance with etiquette.

However, Grand Master Wan Shihe agreed that Wang Chongyi was indeed a businessman, but the kelp he sold all over the world had saved many children.

Zhu Yijun finished dealing with the memorial in his hand, stood up and said, "Go to the Quanjin Guild Hall."

"Your Majesty, the eunuch has informed you that Wang Ci Fu said he would come to see you. Your Majesty is very busy, so there is no need to make such a hassle." Feng Bao said with his head bowed.

There is a procedure for meeting the emperor. It depends on his majesty's schedule and you have to make an appointment in advance. Unless there is an emergency, no one would just come here rashly. That would be a farewell.

"Hmm?" Zhu Yijun frowned and immediately said, "Call the sir and get ready."

"The minister obeys the order."

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty wanted to go to the Quanjin Guild Hall to invite Wang Chonggu to return to the court after his recuperation. This was a kind of courtesy to the wise and humble. It was originally a matter of imperial edict, but Zhu Yijun insisted on going there in person. For the first time, Wang Chonggu deeply felt the trust from His Majesty.

There was actually another reason why Zhu Yijun did this. The Shanxi Governor Zhou Liangyin wanted to do something in Shanxi, and the Ming Emperor went there in person to ask the Second Assistant to return to the court. In fact, this was also giving Wang Chonggu enough face and imperial favor to make Wang Chonggu cooperate.

What Zhou Liangyin wanted to do was not a big thing. He just wanted to regulate the number of yamen runners in the Shanxi government office, especially the county lieutenants and squad leaders, who had to be retired soldiers.

Zhou Liangyin, who had passed the ten-year probation period, did this, which meant he was cutting himself off from the officials and the scholar-official class. Local officials had long been controlled by local elites, especially the county lieutenants and squad leaders. When the officials arrived at the local areas, some of the dirty things had to be done by these "locals".

This is not Zhou Liangyin learning from Hou Yuzhao, but Zhou Liangyin's own idea. Zhou Liangyin cherishes the opportunity gained during the ten-year probation period. No matter if he means it sincerely or pretends, it is true that Zhou Liangyin can pretend for his whole life.

As the emperor, Zhu Yijun had to find some help for Zhou Liangyin. Without help, it would be okay if Zhou Liangyin couldn't do his job, but if he continued, he might even lose his life.

The opponents even dared to assassinate the deputy prime minister and the emperor.

Zhu Yijun had a grand carriage, which was a large one pulled by 9,638 horses, and pulled the ceremonial guards toward the Quanjin Guild Hall.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live Your Majesty. I am deeply humbled and overwhelmed by such an honor." Wang Chonggu was waiting in front of the Quanjin Guild Hall. When he saw the emperor getting out of the car, he immediately bowed five times and kowtowed three times to pay homage to him.

"Feng Daban, announce the decree." Zhu Yijun waved his hand and asked Feng Bao to announce the decree.

The content of the imperial edict mainly counted Wang Chonggu's achievements, starting from Wang Chonggu's resettlement of 190,000 refugees from Xuanda to Wang Chonggu's major project to strengthen the national strength. In recognition of his contribution to pacifying the people, Wang Chonggu was given the temporary title of Earl of Taigu. Unlike Zhang Juzheng's Earl of Yicheng, Wang Chonggu's temporary title was not hereditary, and granting him the temporary title was just a formality. From then on, the security of Wang Chonggu would be the responsibility of the Tiqi and Tielin Army.

"I thank Your Majesty for your grace." Wang Chonggu kowtowed again to express his gratitude.

"No need to be so polite." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, took a step forward, and then stopped.

Zhang Juzheng asked You Qi to take people to remove the threshold. This was the first time His Majesty came to the Quanjin Guild Hall, and it was also the first time that the Quanjin Guild Hall received the emperor. The last time Zhu Yijun went was to Wang Chonggu's home. The Quanjin Guild Hall was not Wang Chonggu's private residence.

The people in the Quanjin Guild Hall had no idea that according to etiquette, the door threshold needed to be removed when the emperor came. After all, the emperor's visit to his subjects had only been during the Hongwu period when Emperor Taizu Gao went to Xu Da's house for a meal.

Of course, it is also possible that the Quanjin Guild Hall did this deliberately to embarrass Wang Chonggu, the leader of the Jin Party who betrayed him.

The threshold of the Quanjin Guild Hall was not removed, so Zhang Juzheng asked You Qi and You Shouli to take the servants of the Quanjin Guild Hall to remove all the thresholds. Zhu Yijun then walked into the Quanjin Guild Hall as if it were flat ground.

Today, Zhu Yijun walked into the Quanjin Guild Hall with a gate, and tomorrow Wang Chonggu will be impeached by the censors of the Ministry of Rites and the Censorate for deceiving the emperor, just like when Tan Lun coughed at the Chao Sun Altar and was impeached by the Ming censors for being disrespectful.

"Dad, do you still want to remove the threshold?" Wang Qian asked in a dull voice.

"I don't know either, but Zhang Juzheng had it demolished, so that's probably the explanation." Wang Chonggu also answered in a low voice with a confused look on his face.

"Compared with the Quan Chu Guild Hall, the Quan Jin Guild Hall is more imposing." Zhu Yijun walked around the Quan Jin Guild Hall, walked into the study, sat down, and said sincerely.

The 80-acre area of ​​the Jin Guild Hall is much better than the Chu Guild Hall in terms of layout and interior decoration. After all, the Jin merchants are really rich. "No matter how magnificent it is, it is not my home, and I rarely come here." Wang Chonggu said, "In comparison, I now prefer the Xishan Coal Bureau."

"Since the Second Assistant has had a good rest, how about returning to the court to do some work tomorrow?" Zhu Yijun got straight to the point.

"The king has given an order, and I dare not disobey it." Wang Chonggu hesitated for a moment, grabbed the memorial in his sleeve, and finally agreed.

Wang Chonggu was afraid and cowardly. During his period of recuperation, he thought a lot and finally decided to retire.

Now that his brother was killed in the explosion, his grandson's arms were severely burned, and he himself was repeatedly attacked, he believed that as long as he insisted, His Majesty would agree.

Moreover, before the arrival of His Majesty, he had been very determined to leave. His younger brother was blown to death in front of him, and his little grandson had one arm burned. The little grandson who liked to pull his beard cried all day long because of the pain and had a constant fever. Wang Qian's wife cried all day long because of the heartache.

He has given enough for the empire. If it comes to atonement, the government-owned factories, engineering corps and various institutional designs that he built have been perfected in fundamental issues. Now that he has completed his atonement, it is time for him to leave.

But at this moment, Wang Chonggu suddenly didn't want to leave anymore.

Before meeting His Majesty, he had made up his mind. He had originally planned to meet the Emperor, but when he saw His Majesty, he began to hesitate. It was not until His Majesty personally asked him to stay that Wang Chonggu decided not to leave.

"Did the Second Assistant originally plan to retire?" Zhu Yijun saw Wang Chonggu's hesitation and asked calmly. After hearing the report from the Little Eunuch in Tonghe Palace, Zhu Yijun guessed it.

"I am deeply troubled. I did think so before." Wang Chonggu spoke the truth. It was normal for people to disperse while walking on the road.

"Second Assistant, the Wanli Reform brought about a new era. Standing at the forefront of this great tide of reform is full of risks, but it also brings endless glory." Zhu Yijun looked at Wang Chonggu and said earnestly, "I will keep you in the court for the sake of the people of the world."

"The people of the world are waiting for the rain, but I don't know where the dragon will come from. I want to do something for the people of the world, but there is not much I can do. I need wise and capable ministers to assist me. This road is really difficult, but I want to go on, and I hope the second minister can accompany me."

When Zhang Juzheng was in mourning, Zhu Yijun kept Wang Chonggu in the court for the sake of the world. Now that Wang Chonggu is leaving, Zhu Yijun also wants to keep Wang Chonggu in the court for the sake of the world.

The production of government-run factories and the resettlement of refugees by the engineering corps are two things that benefit the country, the people and the world.

"I am extremely humbled. It is my honor to serve Your Majesty and bring benefits to the people." Wang Chonggu agreed again without any pretense or any trick of asking for the third time. Since he wanted to stay, he decided to stay.

"Okay!" Zhu Yijun showed a sunny smile.

China's long history is supported by its backbones, and now Wang Chonggu has become one of them.

"Sir, yesterday Lord Wan recommended Gao Qiyu as the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, from Junior Minister to Grand Minister of Rites. I approved it, sir. It's been ten years, and I don't care about it anymore." Seeing that Wang Chonggu had agreed, Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng and talked about Wan Shi and the recommendation.

If Wang Chonggu insisted on leaving, Zhu Yijun would not promote Gao Qiyu immediately. But since Wang Chonggu was not leaving, there would be no major personnel appointments or dismissals in the court, and the political situation was stable, so he could do it.

"No problem. I will obey your order." Zhang Juzheng did not hesitate too much. He sighed and said, "Your Majesty is truly a benevolent emperor."

To some extent, Gao Qiyu's examination topic "Shun also commanded Yu" was even worse than Hai Rui's "Memorial on Public Security". Gao Qiyu did not avoid it at the beginning, and the emperor in question did not care. It would have been fine if no one recommended him. But since the emperor asked Wan Shihe to recommend him, Zhang Juzheng naturally could not stop it.

Gao Qiyu is your Majesty's subject, and the world also belongs to your Majesty.

"Okay." Zhu Yijun stayed in the Quanjin Guild Hall for a long time, mainly discussing the expansion of the engineering corps. Henan and Shandong will both set up engineering corps, and the Ming Dynasty's engineering corps will be expanded from six to twelve, with three each in Henan and Shandong. This is also because the Chidao can be built to Kaifeng and Mizhou before the end of the year, and it will be open to traffic next spring.

The Chidao is a prerequisite for the establishment of an engineering corps. If the imperial court does not have the ability to directly and quickly deploy the Beijing corps, it will not form an engineering corps in that place, which is good for both the imperial court and the local area.

"There is a gathering in Taibai Tower today. Do you want to go and see the fun?" Zhu Yijun talked about watching the fun. Now that Li Zhi and Lin Fucheng have returned to the capital, there will be fun to watch again. Zhu Yijun has not been active in the capital as Master Huang for almost a year.

"Let's go together. Let's go together." Wang Qian was very keen on watching the fun.

"I still have to go to the cabinet." Zhang Juzheng said with his head down. His Majesty had finished reviewing his memorials today, but he, Zhang Juzheng, had not finished his work for the day.

Wang Chonggu bowed his head and said, "I will also go to the cabinet to take my place on duty."

Now, Wang Chonggu can finally go to the cabinet to work. You, Zhang Juzheng, are loyal ministers, and so am I! If he doesn't work in the cabinet and doesn't post floating tickets, some people will not treat him as a second assistant and don't take bean buns as dry food.

The emperor's carriage left for Tonghe Palace. Zhu Yijun changed his clothes and walked to the Duke of Fengguo's Mansion in less than five minutes. He changed into the carriage of the General's Mansion and went to Taibai Tower. At the sound of four o'clock in the afternoon from the bell and drum tower of the main government office, Zhu Yijun walked into Taibai Tower.

The emperor was waiting for the people he wanted to talk to to arrive, while Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu had already walked to Zuo Shunmen. After the imperial guards checked their badges, they let the first and second assistant ministers enter Zuo Shunmen. The two men took a few steps and suddenly stopped at the same time.

Wang Chonggu saw Zhang Juzheng also stopped and said, "Prime Minister, don't shout at me to kill me in the future. If you do, I will report you to His Majesty!"

"That's right. You were a usurper in the past, so naturally you wanted to fight and kill. But you can't do that now. Wang Ci Fu has become a loyal man to the emperor and the country. This is your majesty. You know me. I will never let go of any grudge." Zhang Juzheng also felt a little emotional. Now Wang Chonggu can also be regarded as a loyal man to the emperor and the country.

"In the beginning, Prime Minister Yang always wanted to merge Chu and Jin. Twelve years have passed. Does this count as the merger of Chu and Jin?" Wang Chonggu found it quite interesting.

At first, Yang Bo had been lobbying Zhang Juzheng to accept the conditions of the Jin Party and become the co-leader of the Chu Party and the Jin Party. Zhang Juzheng was not happy about it, but now the Chu Party and the Jin Party have gathered under your Majesty's royal flag and are working hard to make the Ming Dynasty great again.

"Who says it isn't? The Wanli Reform brought new changes to everything." Zhang Juzheng smiled and strode forward.

The reconciliation between Zhang Juzheng and Wang Chonggu was comprehensive, but it did not mean that there were no conflicts of interest. They still had to fight for what they should fight for, but there was now a clear bottom line for cooperation.

Gao Qiyu was on duty at the Honglu Temple when he suddenly heard that he had been promoted from Shaoqing to Dahonglu. He was a little confused for a moment, with extremely complicated feelings, but also relieved. Zhang Juzheng's suppression was the Dragon Subduing Formation, and Gao Qiyu was unable to move. Finally, the Dragon Subduing Formation was lifted, and he was overjoyed. Although there was no one around, he still kowtowed three times solemnly in the direction of Tonghe Palace.

Zhu Yijun drank boiled water leisurely and looked at the crowd below.

The topic of today's discussion is: the alienation of money from people, and whether labor is a commodity in circulation.

The gathering was hosted by Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi. Because of their studies abroad, they had not come to Taibai Tower for a gathering for a long time.

"Take it for tea."

Shah Mamtim had not arrived yet, but the voice and silver had arrived first. The arrival of the Shah's special envoy caused a sensation, mainly because Shah Mamtim's movements of throwing the silver were still graceful, and the silver always drew an elegant arc and fell into the hands of the servant.

In addition to listening to storytelling in Qianmen Tower, Shah Mamtim's favorite thing was the gatherings in Taibai Tower. He didn't want to learn anything, he just wanted to watch the scholars quarrel. Even if Li Zhi and Lin Fucheng were not there, he would often come to watch the fun.

Zhu Yijun looked at Shah Mamtim and found that he was different from Li Yashi. Li Yashi had gone back to be a martyr, while Shah Mamtim only liked to enjoy himself.

"Thank you all for coming to support us." Li Zhi walked to the center of the stage with great strides, bowed to all directions, and saw that the window of the No. 1 box was open, so he knew that the emperor was also there. Li Zhi immediately felt the pressure.

The emperor is very busy, could he please not come to the gathering?
Some of Lin Fucheng's statements were extremely bold, basically testing the brink of life and death, the kind that could not be stopped.

You can make money by hosting these gatherings, but there is no prize, and admission is a considerable amount of silver. If there are 120 people, each person will have to pay five taels of silver. "Xiaoyao Yiwen" can be published every half month, so at the end of the year, there will only be 700 taels of silver in the account.

Li Zhi and Lin Fucheng were celebrities in the capital. They hosted gatherings in Taibai Tower. Not only did Taibai Tower not charge money, it also gave money to build its reputation and attract more people.

"Our Master Lin is late again." Li Zhi stood in front of a small square table, looked around, and said to everyone with a smile.

"Ha ha!"

Lin Fucheng loves to be late. Before, it was because Lin Fucheng wanted to package himself for the finale, and now it’s because of the traffic jam... The traffic in Beijing is really hard to describe, even though Wang Xiyuan has tried his best to coordinate and solve it.

"It is a basic characteristic of an organization for carnivores to occupy and exploit the labor of others. This is also very common in nature. For example, male lions do not hunt, but they can still obtain sufficient food. They only need to defeat other competitors who invade their territory. It is almost impossible for a female lion to survive if she leaves the lion group because she has no territory," Li Zhi made his opening remarks.

Exploitation is not unique to human organizations, but a common characteristic of almost all social animals, not just lion groups. Ant colonies, wolf packs, and monkey groups are all full of exploitation. The herders know very well that as long as they manage the head sheep well, the monkey trainers also know that the other monkeys cannot move until the monkey king has finished eating.

The strong prey on the weak and the fittest survive; nature has always been so cruel.

Li Zhi continued, "This kind of exploitation is extremely common. We must first acknowledge the existence of classes and exploitation. In order to exploit, people established all kinds of social relations, such as the previously abolished slave system, which was forced labor and exploitation, the tenant system, and the human trafficking of women and children as commodities."

“Obviously, these exploited producers have been monetized or commodified, which is the alienation of people.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yijun immediately spoke up and said, "Master Li, loyal subjects serve the country by joining the army, or respond to the call of the court, and fight for their lives. Is this kind of monarch-subject relationship a form of exploitation? Isn't it an infringement of other people's labor?"

"Of course!" Lin Fucheng's voice sounded behind Li Zhi.

Li Zhi really wants to find a pillar and hit himself to death! What? Of course, is that something he can say?

(End of this chapter)