I studied in modern times

Chapter 223 Zhao Xu's Explanation

In the Funing Hall, Zhao Xu was holding a pen and making notes on the desk.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager walked in gently from the side of the curtain.

Seeing Zhao Xu who was writing with a pen, both palaces smiled in relief.

Then, he walked behind Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu looked back when he heard the noise and immediately laughed: "Why are my mother-in-law and queen mother here?"

"Come and see Sixth Brother..." Xiang Dowager smiled and looked at the book in front of Zhao Xu.

Sentences seem to be transcribed on the thin paper.

Under every sentence is Liu Ge's own interpretation and thoughts.

Looking at the Queen Mother, he asked, "Sixth Brother, are you reading Mr. Ming Dao's article?"

Zhao Xu nodded.

In fact, I am a little proud of myself, because, in the impression of the world, Cheng Hao seems to be a great theorist of the old party.

There should be fierce criticism of Wang Anshi's new law!
On the surface, it seems so.

But in fact……

Take a look at what Cheng Hao said to Zhao Xu in the final statement of the annotations of the book "Knowing Ren": the owner should get rid of the evils of deep imprisonment, and plan for a long-term solution, use business to practice benevolence, understand the principles of heaven, and follow the yin and yang!
Therefore, this great master of Neo-Confucianism actually supported reforms and only opposed drastic reforms and policies that were eager for quick results.

Unfortunately, he has passed away.

No one knew his true attitude towards Wang Anshi's reform.

This is very convenient for Zhao Xu.

Confucianism is like this.

No matter how you explain it, as long as the logic makes sense and can be recognized by others, it can be regarded as the "small words and great meanings" of a saint.

This has been the case since Confucius.

In modern times, Zhao Xu even met the Industrial Party who claimed to be a disciple of Confucianism.

I have also seen a lot of water paper guys, papers about Confucianism and Chinese industry, and papers on the application of Confucianism in modern business management...

So they published it openly.

Zhao Xu was confused at first.

However, after consulting his teacher, he was awakened by the teacher's words: "Confucianism, from ancient times to the present, is a social science!"

"Confucianism must explain the social status quo and social problems in order to cater to the rulers and be recognized by mainstream scholars!"

"Otherwise, you will be abandoned by the society and the king..."

"So, Confucianism in every period has the characteristics of that period!"

Zhao Xu was enlightened after listening to it, knowing that his teacher was right.

As a former king, Zhao Xu certainly knew that that was indeed the main task of Confucianism.

Serving the king's rule, explaining the social status quo for the king (fooling the common people).

Therefore, Confucianism must be believed by others.

If you can't even fool the peasants, what's the use of the king?
However, both palaces looked at what Zhao Xu had written, with brilliant eyes.

Because Zhao Xu is not only transcribing Cheng Hao's articles, but also explaining and interpreting Cheng Hao's words.

The two palaces only looked at it for a while, and they both felt that although the official's (sixth brother)'s thinking was a bit immature or naive.

But if you think about it carefully, it really makes sense.

Thinking about what happened in the palace today, both palaces have completely accepted Zhao Xu's statement.

He really figured it out on his own.

This is also in line with Zhao Xu's performance in front of the two palaces in the past few months - he is often able to grasp the key points keenly, and repeatedly makes wonderful moves.

However, the two palaces are still a little worried.

Liao Kingdom, that is a northern prisoner!

So, the Empress Dowager took Zhao Xu's hand, took him to the imperial bed and sat down, and the Empress Dowager also sat on the other side.

"Sixth Brother, the Empress Dowager and I already know that Sixth Brother's release of Jiaozi can be successful!" Asked the Queen Mother softly: "That's right, the Empress Dowager and I are worried that the North Prisoners get so much more money every year. Bo, will it be hard to fill your desires?"

This is the main direction of worry in both houses.

In the past, the Song Dynasty gave 20 taels of silver and 30 bolts of silk cloth to the northern captives every year.

Beilu has become so arrogant as it is today.

Not to mention 300 million sticks a year?
As the saying goes, it is easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to simple.

What if the northern captives become more and more greedy?
Zhao Xu looked at the Empress Dowager and smiled: "I don't want to hide it from my mother, my son just hopes that the northern captives will never be able to satisfy their desires!"

Both palaces suddenly became serious and looked at Zhao Xu: "Brother Six (official)!"

Zhao Xu smiled: "Don't worry about the queen mother, the mother-in-law, just listen to me carefully..."

Zhao Xu knew too well that the two palaces were afraid of the Liao people.

I'm afraid if a Liao man sneezes, both palaces will be in need of food and drink.

Looking at Zhao Xu's confident look, the two palaces sat down and listened to his explanation.

"The northern captives are Yi Di, Yi Di has no faith, the sage has already made it clear!" Zhao Xu explained with a smile: "However, I think that even Yi Di can't get rid of human nature..."

"Human nature is to love leisure and hate work, and to be greedy for wine, sex and wealth..."

"But they don't value the teachings of saints, and they don't know how to be frugal..."

This is bullying the two palaces in the deep palace, not knowing the sufferings of the people.

If the two palaces are the chief ministers, they must know that the same is true in the Song Dynasty.

Folk extravagance prevails!

The literati and bureaucrats are all good at wine, sex and wealth.

In order to drink tea, a set of tea sets, there are many people who spend a lot of money.

But how do the two palaces know this?
Even if they leave the palace, they will go to Kaibao Temple and Daxiangguo Temple.

Every time he leaves the palace, it is a grand affair, with countless guards in front and back, and the streets have to be cleaned.

It is estimated that the queen mother can still know a little bit.But what she knows is the old Huangli during the Zhiping years.

In 20 years, with a flick of a finger, the world has been turned upside down!

Even the city of Bianjing is no longer the city of Bianjing in the memory of the Queen Mother.

Therefore, what Zhao Xu said made both palaces nod slightly.

Zhao Xu continued: "Nowadays, the northern captives get 300 million guan every year, which can be used to buy things from our dynasty..."

"They will gradually become dissatisfied with this..."

"Then, they will send their gold and silver to our country and ask us to make jiaozi for them so that they can continue shopping and enjoying..."

"In this way, ten or twenty years later, our court will be rich and the country strong, while the other party will be deeply involved in sex and wealth, and the national treasury will be in a serious deficit!"

"In this way, I have a chance..."

"Mother and Queen, please don't misunderstand me!" Zhao Xu looked at the serious expressions of the two palaces again, and quickly comforted him: "Soldiers are deadly weapons, and saints use them as a last resort. My son will take the teachings of Mother and Queen into heart and will never speak lightly. Use troops to invade the north..."

"My son only wants to inherit the aspirations of Emperor Taizong, Zhenmiao, and Renmiao..."

"It's just spending money to redeem Yanyun Sixteen States!"

"With ten or 20 years of work, the northern captives have been trapped in a quagmire, and they have to hand over the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun to repay their debts, use them as loans, and continue to indulge in extravagance!"

After hearing this, the two palaces looked at each other, and both showed gratified smiles.

Because Zhao Xu's words are well-organized and logical.

If you think about it carefully, it is indeed possible!
Because of the defeat of Gaoliang River, the emperors of all dynasties since Taizong deeply felt that force could not regain Youyan, and they all began to find other ways and wanted to spend money to redeem it.

Zhao Xu is not the first to think this way.

Zhenmiao and Renmiao both had this idea and put it into practice.

Even the late emperor's encapsulation library was prepared for the sixteen states of Youyan.

And Zhao Xu went one step further than these emperors.

He proposed a feasible plan.

It took ten or twenty years to paralyze the northern captives and make them unable to leave the Song Dynasty, and then they had to return the sixteen states of Youyan.

only……

The Queen Mother looked at Zhao Xu and asked worriedly: "Guan family, if this happens, where will the country get so much money?"

Now 300 million sticks a year, 3000 million in ten years!

If the northern captives ask the Song Dynasty to make jiaozi, they will add several million more per year.

They took the jiaozi, bought the goods and went back.

Merchants came to Bianjing to exchange their coins.

Although, according to the officials of Jiaoziwu, most merchants will not exchange immediately.

But what if?
If the merchants take the Jiaozi and exchange it, wouldn't Da Song suffer a lot?
This is where the two palaces worry.

You can't blame them, it's really too risky for this kind of thing.

After Zhao Xu heard it, he laughed, "Mother, don't worry!"

"Grandson has already thought about it..."

"Businessmen bring Jiaozi, and they can be exchanged when they need to be exchanged, and they can be exchanged at any time regardless of the three-year period!"

"Because this merchant has changed Jiaozi, the Jiaozi Exchange can sell it to other merchants..."

"This time around, it's the usual tax of sixty cents!"

"Suppose a jiaozi with a face value of ten guan is exchanged at the jiaozi exchange more than ten times in a year..."

"Then this Jiaozi with a face value of ten coins is actually already in the packaging library!"

"It's like a merchant who spent another ten dollars to buy it back from Jiaozi Exchange..."

When the two palaces heard this, they looked at each other.

Think about it carefully, it really is!

As long as Da Song reserves enough reserves, then he is not afraid of merchants' exchange at all, and even encourages exchange. The higher the turnover rate, the better!
Zhao Xu continued: "Besides, Liao people shop from me, only based on the current 300 million Guan..."

"Businessmen all over the world, the profit from it is probably more than a million!"

"And I heard that merchants have tax and residence tax..."

"It uses goods to travel from south to north, and paying taxes along the way can benefit the country!"

"In order to sell goods to the northern captives, it needs to hire common people's craftsmen...and the common people's craftsmen can benefit from it..."

"If things go on like this, the gold and silver of Beilu will continue to flow into our dynasty... The goods of our dynasty will continue to flow into Beilu..."

"I am among you, and you are among me... At the end of the day, Beilu did not dare to say anything about going south again..."

Zhao Xu looked at the two palaces and still smiled: "Because, by that time, when the northern captives go south, they will actually fight him!"

The two palaces listened and nodded involuntarily. They had all been convinced by Zhao Xu.

What Zhao Xu said could even be said to have touched their hearts.

Zhao Xu looked at the expressions of the two palaces, and said: "So, mother, empress, please remind Gao and the relatives of the two countries..."

"Hurry up and go to Que City on the border, open a store, and specialize in the things that the northern captives like..."

The two palaces laughed when they heard this, and said to the Empress Dowager Zhao Xu: "Sixth brother, both Gao and Xiang are relatives!"

"They are already extremely wealthy and can no longer compete with the people for profit!"

The Empress Dowager also said: "What the Empress Dowager said is true!"

Zhao Xu just smiled.

He knew, how could the Gao family and the Xiang family let go of this gluttonous feast?
　I originally wrote a lot of personal opinions on Confucianism, but after thinking about it, I deleted it!
　　Because this will be criticized by others. If any readers are interested, I will post a free chapter later to explain it.

　　Of course, this is limited to my own shallow knowledge.

　　PS: The same goes for some things in the book.

　　The author is just a mortal, it is impossible to cover everything, and it is impossible not to make mistakes. Please forgive me.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)