unclear

Chapter 424 New and Old 3

"...To build so many artillery and muskets, can the imperial tax pay for it?" Suddenly hearing a brand-new war theory that they have never been exposed to or thought about, most people cannot believe it immediately and will get used to it. Sexually looking for loopholes to fight back.

Wang Xiangqian chose cost as the breakthrough point. The Ministry of War was no stranger to manufacturing cannons and muskets. Today's artillery and muskets are obviously better than those manufactured by the Ministry of War, and the price is definitely more expensive.

The Shenji Battalion only has more than 5000 people, and even the number of muskets and artillery does not exceed %. Moreover, it cannot fight alone. It requires the cooperation of infantry and cavalry to exert its power.

If we were to equip tens of thousands of divine machine battalions and not have to fight every year, the losses in training alone would be enough to see. If the court cannot afford it in terms of cost, then the new theory mentioned by the emperor is like a flower in the mirror, and it cannot be realized no matter how good it is.

"The size of the Marine Guard is similar to that of the Shenji Battalion. It can be used as either infantry or cavalry. As long as the number of horses and carriages is sufficient, it can fight without any assistance.

Each battleship of the Water War Guard is also equipped with various types of cannons, ranging from forty to fifty for large ones to twenty or thirty for small ones. Together with the cost of shipbuilding, they have been able to support themselves with internal funds over the years without any difficulty. "

Let’s talk about cost, right? That would be great. The cost of large-scale smelting and semi-mechanized casting processing is definitely much lower than manual production in traditional small workshops. Coupled with more advanced mechanical processing technology and equipment, the yield rate will be greatly improved.

The biggest difference between the new army and the traditional army is not at the tactical level, but precisely in cost. The core of large-scale wars between countries is not who has superb skills and tactics, but who can afford to fight and endure.

"It is indeed a good cannon, it is indeed a good cannon... His Majesty has been building factories in various places over the years, and even invited ministers to join him in buying shares. He has good intentions!"

Wang Xiangqian couldn't tell whether this was the case for the time being, but one thing was certain. The artillery placed on the top of the city was indeed more sophisticated than that used by the Shenji Battalion. As long as you touch the barrel and then look down at the inner wall of the barrel, someone who knows a little bit about igniters can come to a similar conclusion.

The bore wall is smooth, the structure is tight, the material is fine, and the proportions are well-proportioned. There are basically no trachoma or honeycombs, and some places are polished like a mirror. This kind of quality is not only found in the cannon casting workshops of the Ministry of War, but even the Ouchi War Bureau cannot produce it.

But Wang Xiangqian was still unwilling to give in. Since he couldn't find any fault with the cost, he had to talk about his plans. Emperor Jingyang has been doing one thing since he ascended the throne, building factories, all kinds of factories.

In the past, people used to think that the emperor was trying to make money for internal funds, and would not allow mining taxes to be collected, so he would use factories instead. Now that I think about it, it seems that it is much more than that. In addition to making money, there should be more far-reaching intentions, such as the new army.

"Hehehehe... Aiqing guessed it right. Ever since I became the prince, I have not been thinking about the future of the Ming Dynasty for a day. After thinking about it, I only came to one conclusion. If I don't make major changes, I will continue to mix according to the original model. Days, Jiangshan Sheji is not long gone.

The main reason why it has reached this point is not that the courtiers are lazy, nor that the people are lazy, but that times have changed.

The world is no longer a world where one family has one surname and one dynasty. If you look at it, the Jurchens, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Annan, Siam, and Luzon are all changing. The European galleons are not far away, carrying silver, spices and cannons. People from thousands of miles away are watching with eager eyes, and it can be said that they are besieged on all sides. Our country, the Ming Dynasty, has a vast territory, rich resources, and a large population. However, the land available for farming is not abundant. Coupled with many factors such as climate and water sources, farming mulberry trees alone can barely keep the people from starving and freezing. I am afraid that they cannot even have enough food and clothing. Can't do it. If there is another natural disaster or man-made disaster, the court will need to use troops and it will be stretched.

To completely solve this problem, factories are the way out. It allows farmers to take care of more land, allows weavers to produce more silk, allows soldiers to have higher combat effectiveness, makes craftsmen more powerful, and most importantly, allows the court to receive more taxes.

With this money and food, the court can raise a strong army, provide better treatment to its ministers, lay roads and bridges, manage rivers, reclaim land, build medical centers and study rooms so that more people can read and write, so that more people can have food and clothing without worries. Xiaoxiao, who was surrounded by others, did not dare to move.

Only when the army is strong can the country be stable, only when the country is stable can the people be rich, and when the people are rich, the government will naturally rise. I can't judge for myself whether this is a prosperous age, but I am willing to try for this goal, and I hope that Aiqing and all my ministers can help me.

I know that the New Deal will cause confusion and even harm to many people, so we might as well take a longer-term view. Whether it is smuggling or annexing land without paying taxes, it is ultimately detrimental to morality and etiquette. If you can get more profits from normal trade and factory dividends, why bother looking at this small profit in front of you?

The Ming Dynasty is like a pot, from which the common people, officials, gentry, and the royal family all have to take food. Whoever takes one more bite will eat less for others. For thousands of years, usurpations, rebellions, and civil uprisings have all been done in order to be able to eat from this pot. One more bite in the pot, that's all.

Factories and the opening of the sea can make the pot bigger and contain more rice. Even if each person only takes half a mouthful, he will still eat more rice than before. At this point, my new policy is not about killing everyone, but an opportunity.

But as a pillar of the Ming Dynasty, whether we should only focus on personal gains and losses is a difficult question that depends on the benevolent and the wise. I won’t judge whether I am a saint or not. But I am the emperor, controlling the people on behalf of heaven, and I have the power and responsibility to make choices for everyone in the Ming Dynasty.

If anyone can't see the gains and losses clearly, blocks me and the Ming Dynasty just for personal gain, and is stubborn, then he can only stay with Shen Li and Li Tingji. Don't blame me for being cruel! "

Having said this, Hong Tao no longer had to conceal anything and readily admitted the fact that he had been planning for a long time. At this time, scheming and scheming are no longer derogatory terms, but have become a manifestation of ability.

No subordinate is willing to follow the leader Sha Baitian, and no minister is willing to follow the emperor to the death just because of his noble personal character. In fact, the ancients have long understood this truth, which is why there is an aphorism that all bustling in the world is for benefit, and all hustle and bustle in the world is for benefit.

In this life, people have been constantly pursuing interests, all kinds of interests, since they were born. Whoever can bring them profits is a saint and will be infinitely highly praised. On the contrary, they are idiots who have no use except to fool people at certain moments.

Now Hong Tao not only explains clearly where the benefits lie and how to obtain them, but also gives the feasibility of gaining both fame and fortune. At the same time, it also gave the consequences of doing the opposite, which can be regarded as an ultimatum. Whether you are willing to follow and whether you can cooperate, everyone's situation is different, you have to figure it out for yourself.

(End of this chapter)