Early Ming Dynasty: Turning Clouds and Rains into New Learning Saints

Chapter 272 The huge impact of increased productivity
All things in heaven and earth are divided into yin and yang; all matters, big and small, are good and bad.

Zhu Yuanzhang had no reason not to understand this truth.Hearing Zhang Yifan's serious words at this time, he also said seriously: "Yifan, just say what you have to say, there is no need to have any scruples."

He always has the utmost patience when it comes to whether he himself is establishing the stability of this country.

Zhang Yifan actually knew this very well, so he seriously said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "The emergence of the steam engine will not go into too many benefits. In terms of disadvantages, the first is that it will impact the people in many industries. They have no food and clothing. The court must pay attention to their plight and solve the problems they encounter!"

"It is true that today's Ming Dynasty has promoted the distribution of grain fields to the public throughout the country, which can ensure that most people have a way out. However, I will give you an example, such as trackers and boatmen. They may not be good at farming, or in other words, they There are too few grain fields in the place of household registration, and each person is not allocated much grain fields, so he may still go hungry, etc."

"In short, when people who were able to make a living by doing a certain job lose that livelihood, it will definitely have an impact on their lives. Erchen believes that the greatest responsibility of the court is to reduce the negative impact on the people. In view of these , Vocational and technical training schools can be set up so that they can go to the school to learn a trade, so that they can have jobs again!"

Hearing this, Zhu Biao, who had been silent, asked with a hint of surprise: "It's similar to the one in Xiangshan County. What did you do before?"

When Zhang Yifan was in Xiangshan County, many things were actually started. This was his intention, and it was also the reason why Xiangshan County's rapid development objectively required more skilled workers.

Therefore, upon hearing Zhu Biao's words, Zhang Yifan nodded and replied, "That's right, what I mean is that the imperial court should pay attention to this aspect in the future, consider it from a national perspective, and coordinate the establishment of this vocational training school!"

At this point, he thought for a moment and then added: "The imperial court is currently promoting universal literacy, which is excellent and can greatly improve the adaptability of the people of the Ming Dynasty in choosing different careers. However, the current national literacy policy is It has just begun, and it is mainly for school-age children. But there is still no adult aspect."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly and said: "Every carrot is a pit. What can you teach these people? So that they will not compete with others for food?"

Zhang Yifan smiled and said: "Father, although steam will replace manpower, the scale will also expand, which will also bring new work content and new job opportunities. There is no need to worry about this. As long as the court is forward-looking, Arranging these things well will not only solve the unemployment problem of existing people, but also facilitate the shortage of new workers!"

In terms of understanding the impact of the industrial revolution brought about by the steam engine, no one can understand better than Zhang Yifan, even if Zhu Yuanzhang is so wise and powerful.

Hearing this, and listening to him give an example to explain, Zhu Yuanzhang was able to know what he was doing.

Then, I heard Zhang Yifan continue to say seriously: "Father, brother, with the emergence of new workshops powered by steam engines, there will inevitably be a scale effect, and those owners will make a lot of money. If there is no restriction from the court, then they will They try their best to lower the salary of their workers and increase their working hours in order to obtain more profits. And the money they accumulate from this will be a lot, and when they reach a certain level, they will inevitably If they want to have more power, they will use the money in their hands to influence the court's policies. And so on, the court must also prepare in advance, but the thirty tax on business tax is far from enough to adapt to the new situation. Changes in situation.”

Zhu Biao was a little confused when he heard that, and said: "That means not letting people become masters, and the court is doing it?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not speak, but was obviously thinking.

After hearing Zhu Biao's words, Zhang Yifan shook his head and said: "Businessmen pursue profits. This is their nature. In fact, the same is true for existing businessmen. This is indeed not good, but it also has a good side. For example, For the sake of profit, they may try their best to innovate technology and promote further technological advancement.”

"If the imperial court comes to do it, it will not be their own business. Those who are in charge and become officials will seek stability, not seeking great achievements, but seeking no faults. Although they are stable, they will be lacking in technological progress. .”

Hearing this, Zhu Biao asked for advice seriously: "What's the trick? Tell me!"

During their conversation, there was a recorder beside them, who was recording all the time. Even because many of the things Zhang Yifan said were so novel, it was inconvenient for them to take shorthand and had to record them all, so it became a little bit confusing. We were in such a hurry that one person was obviously not enough, so there were three people taking turns recording.

Just listen to Zhang Yifan saying to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao: "With the promotion of steam engines, the court's tax revenue can also be gradually transferred from farmland. For businessmen, they need to be further subdivided, such as into manufacturers, traders, etc. Among them, manufacturers It can also be subdivided into various industries. For different businessmen, the court has to designate different tax systems to collect taxes..."

"So troublesome?" Zhu Biao couldn't help but sigh after hearing this.

Before, it was thirty to one tax, it was that simple.But according to what the eldest brother-in-law said, it would be complicated.

After hearing this, Zhang Yifan immediately said seriously: "Brother, this is not a troublesome matter. The essence of tax collection is not that the court collects protection fees, but that the court uses money to control what the court asks them to do. There are things that can be done specially, but there are some things that the court feels it is not easy to open too much, so it will charge money, that is, the tax will be heavier, so as to reduce the number of people doing things that the court does not want them to do. Such things can Is it troublesome?"

Zhu Biao: "..."

He really hadn't thought about it that way. It turned out that the purpose of collecting taxes was this. He had always thought that it was just to collect money!
Even Zhu Yuanzhang thought about this, so his face was obviously a little surprised, and then he showed a look of approval, and his understanding of tax collection increased.

On Zhang Yifan's side, he continued: "In addition, in order to protect the people of Ming Dynasty, the imperial court has to issue laws to stipulate the norms of employment. For example, children should be studying and cannot be hired to work, and bear the responsibility of making money that adults can bear. Only then can we ensure that Daming will have more and better talents available in the future."

"Also, stipulate the minimum salary for each employee in a day, otherwise the businessmen will lower their wages without any lower limit to make maximum profits. Set the maximum number of hours of work for each employee in a day, otherwise the businessmen will Extend their working hours without any lower limit to earn maximum profits..."

Zhang Yifan believes that if he promotes the industrial revolution, he is not afraid that the industrial revolution will not start. If some things are formulated in advance, the phenomenon of sheep cannibalism in the past will be prevented from reducing, and the gap between the rich and the poor will not widen too much.

The initial Industrial Revolution in Britain actually suffered hardships for ordinary people in Britain, and only made the capitalists rich!

In this dimension, the Ming Dynasty started the industrial revolution ahead of schedule and had enough time to slowly promote it.And at this time, it was a military power, and it still had the military to ensure the advancement of the industrial revolution.Whether it is human resources or resources, they can be obtained by expanding territories.In short, since Zhang Yifan promoted the industrial revolution in the Ming Dynasty, it was impossible to watch the rise of capitalism in the Ming Dynasty, because their rise must be based on exploitation.

Zhang Yifan has enough samples to choose how to go in this world, and enough theories to support it. This is the advantage of a time traveler.

For people in this era, emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business is the basic value.Zhu Yuanzhang is no exception. He very much agrees with Zhang Yifan's approach of restricting businessmen from making profits and protecting ordinary people.

Zhang Yifan continued: "But we can't kill them all, that would be too much. Their existence is also valuable. It is right to pursue profits when doing business, but it must be under the control of the court. The best is the best."

"In addition, there must be corresponding systems for the business that the imperial court conducts. Firstly, it is to prevent the pursuit of stability without seeking advancement, without seeking innovation, and will only sit back and enjoy the gains; secondly, it is to prevent people from enriching their own pockets and siphoning off the palace's property. , profits are converted into personal property..."

As he was talking, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were listening carefully.

At the end, seeing Zhang Yifan finally finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly showed a wry smile and said to Zhang Yifan: "Yifan, what you said makes sense, and I want to do it all. But, there are so many There are so many things that have never been done before, and no one can use them!"

Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang was short of talents and had a headache; now, according to Zhang Yifan's suggestion, he didn't know how many talents were needed in all aspects. Where to find suitable talents to use them, this was his first consideration.

Of course Zhang Yifan knew Zhu Yuanzhang's difficulties, so when he heard his complaints, he smiled and replied: "Father, my son is just deducing the future, and therefore put forward various possibilities and preventive measures. These things cannot happen immediately. There is still time to prepare for this one by one in advance.”

The two people in front of me are the founding emperor and the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty.During the two generations of emperors who were in power, it would have been good if all the things just mentioned could be formed into a system and implemented.

These things are not things that can be achieved just by talking!

Hearing his words, Zhu Yuanzhang still had a headache and said: "Of course I know that we don't have to do these things now, but I can't think of talents who can do these things. There may be such unprecedented changes in the future. I’m afraid there are no people in this field!”

When Zhang Yifan heard this, he said without hesitation: "If you don't have one, you can train it! You can become an official just by taking the imperial examination. This kind of official is indeed not suitable for the requirements of being an official in the future, but it can be changed. For example, future Jinshi must Can we just go to the Imperial College or a newly established school to learn how to be an official under the new style, and wait until they learn it?"

Having said this, he paused and added: "This is a bit similar to vocational and technical training. In fact, being an official is also a profession, isn't it? In the school, these people are taught how to select talents, manage local and imperial enterprises, etc. As long as you do this, you don’t have to take the exam every three years, but every year. Then won’t the court have a steady stream of people who can become officials?”

"Huh?" When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he was a little surprised and fell into deep thought.

The imperial examination began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and it has been the same pattern throughout the ages.

Because Zhu Yuanzhang was dissatisfied with the imperial examination, he stopped it, made new preparations, and prepared to open the imperial examination again. It can be said that at this time, he was quite familiar and understanding of all aspects of the imperial examination, and he also had the power to change the model of the imperial examination.

Earlier, he had decided to add Zhang Yifan's new study to the imperial examination.He was the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and it was easy to do this.

Now, because he can predict the huge changes in the situation in the future, and he may have to change the imperial examination system, he has to think about it!

In fact, once the steam engine appeared, the social ecology of Ming Dynasty would inevitably change.

To paraphrase later generations, the development of productive forces will lead to changes in production relations.As for the changes in production relations, if the original imperial examination method of the Four Books and Five Classics was used to select officials, it would be absolutely impossible to adapt to such changes in production relations.

Of course Zhu Yuanzhang understood this. After thinking for a while, he said to Zhang Yifan very helplessly: "But Yifan, as for the new learning, there is no teacher who can teach it. Although I have decreed that in the social studies, There must be new learning, but where can they learn from self-study? I feel reluctant to take the scientific examination every three years, so how can it be possible to take the test once a year? Even after they finish the test, they have no time to go back, and they have to go to Beijing to take the test? "

Hearing this, Zhang Yifan knew that the transportation and government orders of this era were far behind those of later generations, so he proposed to take the exam once a year, which seemed too early.

Therefore, he thought for a while and answered Zhu Yuanzhang: "Father, isn't there a lot of Guozijian? When I was teaching here, there were many people listening. After such a long time, those who are willing to study by themselves may learn a lot. I You can let my fifty students tutor them, at least in the short term, to make them understand physics and arithmetic."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't hesitate any more, and immediately nodded and said, "That's very good, all the students of Guozijian have to learn it, and then they will be appointed as teachers in all counties across the country, which can also solve the temporary needs."

In the past, he had actually selected talents from the Imperial College several times and directly recruited them to serve as officials.Ye Boju, who originally opposed the vassal system, was the son of the country and was taught by Pingyao County.

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang paused again and said: "We have to think carefully about the imperial examination!"

　Normal updates will most likely resume tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)