At the end of Qin, I became a son of the plane

Chapter 333: New contention of a hundred schools of thought, the idea of ​​expansion

After Wu Sheng's proposal was passed, the Shaofu ordered Qin Bo to go out and say: "We, the Han Dynasty, want to build a world of great harmony, and the court must take care of the interests of the craftsmen, because they are the producers of the Han Dynasty's wealth, and they deserve better treatment and life. . This is the "Artisan's Law" proposed by me, and I also ask all the sages to pass this law."

Qin Bo said that the whole place was silent. But Qin Bo didn't care about this, and showed the "Artisans' Decree" he printed to the sages present. Even the three ministers and nine ministers of the imperial court and the prefects of each county had a copy.

Everyone gasped when they saw it. Qin Bo really united his knowledge and action and wrote down all the regulations he published in the "Mozi Monthly". Every one of them was a life-threatening thing.

Shusun Tong whispered to Fu Sheng: "If the Craftsman's Decree is passed, the people of the world will definitely be grateful to the Mohist family, and the Mohist family will definitely become the first among hundreds of schools in the future."

Fu Sheng said disapprovingly: "The Artisan Decree looks beautiful, but it is not legal and practical. If the status of craftsmen has been raised so high, people in the world will not open workshops, but will directly become craftsmen.

Various schools of thought advocated that everyone should be regarded as Yao and Shun, that everyone should be regarded as a sage, and that everyone should be regarded as a dragon. But how many sages have there been from ancient times to the present? How many heroes can be called dragons among men? The only one who can be called a saint is Duke Zhou. Forcing the people of the world to use the standards of a saint will definitely lead to chaos in the world. "

In Fu Sheng's view, the "four-hour work system" and the "seven-day rest system" will reduce the income of the workshop. If the income of the workshop is reduced, the income of the craftsmen will naturally be reduced. The Mohists are not asking for help for the people of the world, but harming the world. of people.

Although the "Child Protection Act" is good, the age set is too high. Children at the age of six are required to herd cattle and sheep. Children in their teens are already working in the family or becoming apprentices of craftsmen. At the age of sixteen, Only then can we do things, but this is harming these children.

Of all the laws here, the most practical one is the "Artisan Retirement Act". If you really live to be sixty years old, the court should give you preferential treatment, but this should not leave the responsibility to the workshop owners.

"Scholars all over the world will join Mohism because of this matter. This is not a good thing for me as a Confucian."

Shusun Tong was unwilling to give in. He stood on the moral high ground and condemned others. It was obviously his Confucian strengths, but now they were taken away by the Mohists. It was simply unreasonable.

No one dares to say that the Child Protection Act and the Artisans Retirement Act are bad, and no one will say that because I want to make money, I have to hire child labor, make the craftsmen work until death, and throw them away when they can no longer work. If you dare to speak out your words, you will definitely be criticized by people all over the world.

Li Shang looked at Zhang Qiang and said, "Will this law be passed?"

They worked hard for hundreds of years to create the current prosperous age of Confucianism. As a result, all their disciples were attracted to Mohism, which was difficult for Shusun Tong to accept.

Zhang Qiang looked at Xu Fan and said: "But the emperor is watching, who dares to mess around."

There were also a large number of scholars who wanted to join the Mohist school because of the "Artisan Law", and most of these scholars were his Confucian disciples, which made it difficult for Shusun Tong to accept it.

Shu Suntong whispered: "Uncle Master, what is happening today is just like the contention of a hundred schools of thought hundreds of years ago. How did everyone really unify and bring peace to the world hundreds of years ago.

And in the place where the county governor sits.

As long as the knowledgeable people in the world feel that your school of thought really has such hope, a large number of talents will join and this school of thought will prosper.

Ever since the emperor proposed building a world of great unity and proposed a four-step strategy, scholars all over the world have been attracted by the world of great unity. If each school of thought cannot give its own path towards a world of great unity, it will be abandoned by scholars all over the world.

Fu Sheng thought about the recent developments in Chang'an City and agreed with Shusuntong's statement.

The Mohist school is obviously the first among hundreds of schools of thought to take this step. Regardless of whether the Mohist school succeeds or not, they have already begun to move towards the world of great harmony.

What's more important is that regardless of whether this decree is successful or not, the Mohist influence has spread. Now the scholars in Chang'an City are proud to discuss the contents of the "Artisan Decree", and they don't say a few words about making decisions for the people. Not considered a scholar in the Han Dynasty.

We Confucians must also have our own theory of moving towards a world of great harmony. This is the general trend of the world at this time. If any school of thought cannot catch up with this general trend, it is destined to decline. "

But now that the world is unified and the world is at peace, it has been achieved by the Han Dynasty. What everyone is fighting for is how to realize the world of great unity. At this point, we are far behind the Mohists. They have begun to put forward their own theory of moving towards a world of great unity, and have begun to realize it.

From this point of view, other schools of thought have lagged behind Mohism. If other schools of thought cannot come up with something that attracts scholars, the situation of "if the world's words do not belong to Yang, then they will belong to Mohism" will happen again. This is a big problem for Confucianism. Something difficult to accept.

Zhang Qiang said with a solemn expression: "It's hard to say. Naturally, we don't want this bill to pass. I'm afraid most of the sages present don't want to pass this bill either."

Shusun Tong had a different view. Regardless of whether these laws were unrealistic, they occupied the moral high ground. No one in the world dared to say that it was wrong to let the people rest. Everyone dared to say that too much rest would make the workshop unprofitable. Money, on the contrary, will affect the interests of craftsmen.

Just like hundreds of years ago, scholars were arguing over ways to unify the world and restore peace to the world. Regardless of whether you can do it or not, the key is that you have to let people see that you are doing this, and believe that using the theories of your school can truly bring peace to the world.

Guan Ying whispered: "Even if it's someone, I'm afraid he will raise his hand."

The passing of this decree will obviously affect the production efficiency of Shu brocade, but he does not dare to offend the emperor, which will at worst increase the price of Shu brocade.

After half a day, Xu Fan looked at the sages and said, "Everyone has read Qin Shaofu's Craftsman's Law. Those who agree with the Craftsman's Law can raise their hands."

As soon as Xu Fan finished speaking, more than a dozen people immediately raised their hands.

Xu Fan looked over and saw that there was an acquaintance among the people who raised their hands, the stone that helped him break into the pass, but he did not expect that he would also become a sage, which was a bit unexpected for him.

Others were hesitant, trembling, not wanting to raise their hands, and worried about the emperor's wrath. Their faces were pale, and they were sweating profusely. They were reluctant to part with money and worried about the emperor's power.

Basically, wherever Xu Fan looked, the sage slowly raised his hand, and the atmosphere was extremely solemn.

Zhou Zhang suddenly stood up and said: "Your Majesty, the sages are so hesitant because they haven't thought about it yet. I think that in order to prevent the sages from being affected, it is better to pass the decree by secret ballot.

This can also minimize the influence of the ministers on the sages. After all, there are either three ministers and nine ministers, or a prefect with 2000 shi. "

Zhou Zhang saw it and asked the emperor to continue to stare at it. The Mohist "Craftsman's Decree" might really be passed. But Zhou Zhang did not want the "Artisan Decree" to affect the prosperous industrial development of the Han Dynasty at this time.

Xu Fan looked around at the sages dripping with cold sweat and said, "Yes!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Zhou Zhang summoned a clerk and asked him to bring some paper and pens and distribute them to the sages present, saying: "Those of you who agree with the Craftsman's Decree write "Yes" on the white paper. Those who don't agree, write "No". Write other words or white. Paper ones will be deemed as waivers.”

"No!" said the sage.

Zhou Zhang's approach relieved their worries.

It didn't take long for the sages to write down their answers, and then a Han official came to them with a box. The sages threw their answers into the box.

Xu Fan looked at the box and said, "This is a plan."

"Chen is here!"

"You count the votes."

"promise!"

Zhang Cang came to the box and opened the white papers one by one.

"Yes, no, no, no, no, yes~~~~~."

Soon Zhang Cang reported to Xu Fanhui: "Your Majesty has a total of ninety votes, of which 15 votes approved the "Artisan Decree" and 75 votes disapproved of the "Artisan Decree."

Xu Fan said expressionlessly: "The Craftsman's Decree will not be implemented for the time being." Xu Fan's words silenced Zhangtai Palace. No one expected that the "Craftsman's Decree" that the emperor had prepared for so long was not agreed by the sages. It really didn’t pass.

Even Jing Yi couldn't believe the result. He voted in favor against his will, but he didn't expect that so many of the sages present dared not give the emperor face. It can only be said that the emperor is not easy to do in front of money.

He looked at the sages everywhere and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "There are so many warriors in the world!"

While sitting at the seat of the Han's eunuch, Guan Ying said in disbelief: "The emperor just gave up like this. Isn't it too rash?"

It is simply unbelievable that the decree that the emperor has been promoting for so long will not be implemented because the wise people voted not to pass it.

Zhang Qiang, on the other hand, said: "You really don't understand your Majesty at all. Your Majesty believes that the reason why the Qin Dynasty was destroyed was because the First Emperor acted arbitrarily and did not listen to honest advice. Therefore, your Majesty changed the behavior of the First Emperor's arbitrariness and followed the rules. Your Majesty treats us What he said the most was not only that we should abide by the Han laws, but His Majesty not only wanted us to abide by the Han laws, but also that he himself should abide by the Han laws."

"From this point of view, the Prime Minister knows the Emperor best. If the Prime Minister hadn't held a secret ballot, the Craftsman Ordinance might have been enacted."

Later, internal history ordered Li Shiqi to propose his own track plan. He first gave all the sages the data on the orbital movement from Chang'an City to Gaoling and Yueyang, which was less than two hundred miles.

Then he said: "Since the construction of the track from Chang'an City to Yueyang, there have been hundreds of track carriages galloping between the two places every day. Sometimes there are thousands of track carriages. The carriages on the track are lined up in long lines. This has greatly accelerated the speed of transportation. Chang’an City’s cargo circulation speed.”

"At the same time, taxes in Gaoling and Yueyang have increased rapidly because of the rail link. Gaoling has increased four times in two years. Yueyang has also doubled. Now there is a saying everywhere in Chang'an City that 'a rail link is worth ten thousand catties of gold'. "

“This is still a short track of less than two hundred miles, and it connects small cities like Gaoling and Yueyang.

If the two capital cities of Chang'an City and Luoyang City are connected, goods from the Central Plains can enter Chang'an City at one-tenth of the current cost, and goods from Chang'an City can also enter Luoyang City at one-tenth of the cost. This will bring benefits to the world. The benefits are simply countless. "

"The track from the Great Wall to Luoyang City can be restored in up to three years, and this 700-mile-long track can benefit more than a dozen counties along the way and bring rapid development to these counties. Rail transit is the road for my big man. If My land is covered with tracks, and it only takes half a month for an army to go anywhere from Chang'an City."

"So rail transit is beneficial to the long-term stability of the country, both economically and militarily."

Although Li Shiqi said that the track was beneficial to the country and the people, and it seemed that those who disagreed with his proposal were the sinners of the Han Dynasty, the above shows that the total investment in the project reached 10 gold, which was higher than the cost of Prime Minister Zhou Zhang's Grand Canal.

"It's too expensive. One mile of track actually costs 20 yuan. The first emperor didn't pay such a high price when he built Chidao!" When I heard about this price option for the first time, I was almost scared to death.

The big man's balance is only 27 gold, and one of Li Shi's other projects accounts for more than one-third. Even if you are the inner historian, the appearance of this meal is too ugly.

Guan Ying and others also glared at Li Shiqi. What kind of status do you have, you can actually build a project that is bigger than the prime minister.

If you eat such a big piece by yourself, what will the others do? If you really think that you are a governor of the capital, you will be unscrupulous.

Li Shiqi said calmly: "It is impossible for the First Emperor to make money on his straight road, but now a rail carriage can cost 400 yuan for a hundred miles, and the capital can be recovered in three years. If the court is not willing to pay this money, I will invest in it." The bank went to the bank for a loan, and I think they are willing to accept the business. "

After deliberation for a while, the sages present approved the proposal with 82 votes. Although the cost of building the track is high, the profit is higher. These sages fell in love with the temptation of selling goods to the world as mentioned by Li Shiqi.

After Li Shiqi's successful case, the prefects of all major counties in the Han Dynasty put forward their own proposals.

He proposed to the governor of Linzi to build a large steel factory, and asked the court to support craftsmen who knew how to build blast furnaces. He also assured the sages of the Han Dynasty that building a blast furnace in Linzi would be able to pay back the cost in at most two years.

Now these prefects have learned a lot and understand that whether they can get their money back is the biggest guarantee of getting consent. Businesses that make money always get passed quickly.

Qi State was famous for its salt and iron during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Relying on these two pillar industries, Qi State has been the richest country in the world since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

The blast furnace and salt-drying technology changed everything. These two technologies quickly spread throughout the world, directly cutting the price of steel by half, and the price of salt by several times. When Xiang Yu was in charge of Qi State, the salt and iron of Qi State were not in circulation. The world was in ruins, but Haiyan counterattacked the production base of Qi State.

After the Qi Kingdom was captured by the Han Dynasty, dry salt became popular rapidly. Linzi Salt barely regained the market in Qi, but it was impossible for Qi Salt to circulate all over the world as before.

Qi's steel industry was completely defeated by Chen County Iron and Steel. A large number of blacksmiths were found to be unsustainable in a steel center. Faced with this situation, the prefect of Linzi County understood that it was impossible for traditional iron-making technology to defeat blast furnace technology. , so there was this proposal.

The proposal of the governor of Linzi County was also approved. At the same time, it was also approved that Jibei, Linzi, Jiaodong, and Langya would each build a large wharf.

Later, there were expenses for repairing roads, cities, granaries and arsenals in border counties such as Shangjun, Jiuyuan, and Yanmen, and these proposals were also passed.

There are also proposals to build plank roads in central Sichuan and build canals in central Guizhou, Nanjun, Hengshan County, Jiujiang County and other places.

Dahan's finances are healthy this year. As long as the proposals are not too excessive, they are basically passed. Dahan's financial balance of 27 gold was spent on 24 gold. The remaining gold was used as a bounty for Han officials, and was distributed according to the size of the official position and political achievements.

After the imperial budget was spent, Xu Fan said: "The imperial court only has this amount of money and food. If there is a financial surplus next year, it will be distributed to other counties."

Then Xu Fan said seriously: "You must supervise each project. The court's money is the people's support. Every money must be used well. After the project is completed, the court will conduct an audit."

Xu Fan picked up a pile of proposals and said: "The imperial court's money is in place. If you fail to do what you promised, don't blame the imperial court for hitting you.

The prefects of each county said: "No."

October 9, the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, Chang'an City, Yan Palace

After the meeting of wise men, Xu Fan entertained Ji Bu, Ying Bu, Chen Xiao, Lu Chen, Ge Ying and other confidants at his home.

Ying Buyou said angrily: "Your Majesty, the general has heard that those wise men do not know how to praise and dare to veto your order. When these people leave Guanzhong, the general will drown them in the Wei River. Let these so-called sages understand who is the real master of this world."

Xu Fan was drinking rice wine, but when he heard Yingbu's words, he choked immediately. He coughed for a long time before he felt better, and then he said angrily: "I want to harm their interests, why can't people veto my order?"

Yingbu said loudly: "If you want me to die, I have no choice but to die."

Xu Fan said: "You are talking nonsense. I want you to return to Chang'an City and become a commoner. Are you willing?"

Yingbu was speechless.

"The reason why I created the Sage Council is so that the conflicts between the Han Dynasty can be resolved through discussion and persuasion, instead of using swords, guns, swords and halberds at every turn, causing chaos in the world every time."

Xu Fan continued: "These sages have rejected my proposal. It's not like I don't have other means. In short, everyone relies on their own abilities."

Lu Chen said: "Your Majesty wants to destroy the Wei Kingdom in Liaodong."

Then he told what happened in Jizi Country again.

Xu Fan was a little surprised. This country of Jizi should be the Goguryeo of later generations. It might as well be destroyed now, it would solve a disaster.

"You can solve it yourself. If you need any weapons and equipment, just ask Peng Yue. I will let him sell it to you at the lowest price, and at the same time let his fleet support you."

Lu Chen said excitedly: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Chen Xiao also followed up and said: "Your Majesty, I also plan to deal with the Yelang Kingdom. There are savages in the central area of ​​​​Nanzhong, which is like the civilization of the Yelang Kingdom and the Dian Kingdom. The local people are also civilized. After conquering these two small countries, The big man can completely control Nanzhong."

(End of this chapter)