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

Chapter 505: Concerns and Minimum Salary Standards

On September 15th, the 21st year of the Han calendar, in Chang'an City, Jianzhang Palace.

After Yang Xiong spent nearly a year inspecting the factories under the Shaofu, he came to report to the emperor. The emperor summoned the prime minister Zhou Bo, the acting prime minister Zhang Cang, Li De and the Mohist leader Qin Bo.

Yang Xiong brought all the factory data to the emperor and said, "According to the inspection, the factories under the Shaofu have basically survived the economic crisis, and their profits have generally recovered to more than 30%. Among them, the Shangjin kerosene refinery in Shangjun and the Longxi kerosene refinery have developed very fast, bringing great wealth to the two places and getting rid of the poverty of Shangjun and Longxi. Because of the court's track replacement plan, the steel industry has plans to expand production capacity. Many factory directors even have plans to build blast furnaces with a capacity of one million jin, and some even plan to build two blast furnaces at a time."

The factory managers of the Han Dynasty this time are more like Han officials than merchants. To them, making money is important, but it is not the first priority. Instead, they want the emperor to know them so that they can stand out. If they want to make their names famous in the Han Dynasty, it would be best to be the best in the industry. After all, in this world, only by being the best can people remember your name.

Xu Fan's face turned serious when he heard this. He had been in the afterlife for thirty years and had heard too many things like this. Whenever an industry was hot, people would rush to launch projects. As the old saying goes, if you let it go, it would be in chaos, but if you control it, it would die.

Thinking of this, Xu Fan said, "Old Yang, you should keep an eye on these factory directors and order the steel mills below to report all 50-jin blast furnace projects. Only one blast furnace can be built at a time, and no second one can be built within three years. Anyone who dares to build one privately will be dismissed from his post."

The Han Dynasty is not a pursuer now, nor does it need to rush for quick success. It would rather do many things slowly than too quickly. In Xu Fan's memory, nothing good will happen if things are done too quickly. He doesn't want the Han officials to keep paying tuition fees and never learn.

Yang Xiong said: "Yes!"

Yang Xiong thought about it and told the emperor what he had found in Chen County. He then said worriedly, "Chen County today reminds me of the Qin Dynasty decades ago."

Zhou Bo said, "The Legalists are not the same as they were during the Qin Dynasty. If the Legalists dare to harm the people, even I will not let them go, not to mention that the whole court is watching them. Chen County has made a lot of achievements during this period. The income of the Shaofu alone has increased by more than 10 billion yuan. In addition, the various systems they have experimented with can solve many major problems of the Han Dynasty. The Prime Minister's Office is trying to promote these rules and regulations."

He was the one who promoted the Legalists and initiated the pilot project in Chen County. If such a pilot project failed, it would be a major blow to his prestige and would be very unfavorable for him to be the prime minister in the next few years. Therefore, Zhou Bo instinctively wanted to protect the results of the pilot project in Chen County.

Of course, this is also because the Legalists did solve many problems for him. The industrialization of the Han Dynasty had been going on for more than ten years. In this drastic social change, many new contradictions and new problems will arise. These contradictions and problems are difficult to deal with with existing experience. Although the Legalists have a bad reputation, their ability to solve problems is really strong.

Yang Xiong said, "The Legalists I saw decades ago are completely different from the corrupt Qin officials that the Prime Minister saw."

"Its terrain is solid and dangerous, its location is convenient, its mountains, forests, rivers and valleys are beautiful, and it has many natural resources. This is a geographical advantage. When entering the territory, the music is not vulgar, the clothes are not frivolous, and they are very respectful and obedient to the officials. This is the ancient people. All officials are solemn, and all are respectful, frugal, respectful, loyal and trustworthy. This is the ancient officials. The scholars and officials leave their homes and enter the public office; leave the public office and return home, without any private affairs; they do not form cliques or parties, and are all open and fair. This is the ancient scholars and officials. Looking at their court, it is leisurely, and all matters are heard and decided without delay, and it is as peaceful as if there is no governance. This is the ancient court."

Zhou Bo's face turned serious. Although he was a warrior, the Han Dynasty always attached great importance to cultivating its own talents. Since Zhou Bo joined the Han army, he did not dare to say that he was a master in learning, but he had dabbled in various schools of thought. Naturally, he understood that this was the content of the chapter on strengthening a country in Xunzi.

The last sentence is "Then it is possible that there is no Confucianism! Therefore, it is said: 'If it is pure, it will be king, if it is mixed, it will be hegemony, if it lacks either, it will perish.' This is also the shortcoming of Qin."

The history of the Qin State was just as what Xunzi said. After unifying the country, it was destroyed in just over ten years.

The destruction of the Qin Dynasty had a great impact on the world, especially the Legalists who were blamed for the tragedy and whose backbones were almost broken. Even among the victorious Han Dynasty, there were many things that they should learn from the Qin Dynasty.

The Han Dynasty had been very strict in arresting corrupt officials in the past 20 years. Even the elders of the Han Dynasty would be severely punished if they were caught. Most people also recognized the court's punishment in their hearts. This was because they saw how the Qin officials forced the people to rebel, and also saw how the people, under the organization of the emperor, could explode with destructive power.

Most Han officials admitted that even after the Han uprising, the Qin army's combat effectiveness was still strong. They almost suppressed all the uprising armies except those of the Han. It can be said that if there was no Han, the world would still be the world of the Qin.

But even though the Qin still had a million troops, it still couldn't withstand the power of the people organized by the emperor. The heroes of the Han Dynasty recognized the power of the people. This is how the world works. Only by showing your strength can you be respected. Otherwise, you will be bullied to death. All the bad things will be expected to be borne by you, and all the good things will not be yours, because you have no power and you can't speak.

But the people of the Han Dynasty showed their ability to change dynasties. While enjoying the rights brought by this power, the Han officials also deeply respected this power. They also hated the fact that the people were forced to rebel by the officials. Everyone had to eat on the Han ship, and you couldn't do things like chiseling the planks of the ship. Doing so would sink the Han ship and leave everyone without food.

Now Yang Xiong told Zhou Bo that Qin officials were once good officials in the world, so much so that Xunzi had to praise them. But it was such harsh Qin laws that led to the collapse of the Qin Dynasty, and Chen County had such a trend. For a moment, Zhou Bo didn't know how to refute.

Xu Fan said calmly: "The productivity and environment of the Han Dynasty are completely different from those of the Qin Dynasty. The Legalists are dependent on power. When power belongs to the First Emperor, they help the First Emperor. When power belongs to the people of the Han Dynasty, they will naturally serve the people. I have mentioned the concept of serving the people for many years. However, only the Legalists really use this concept to formulate laws and policies. From this point of view, the Legalists are an advanced force in the Han Dynasty."

To Xu Fan, Qin law was nothing. No matter how strict it was, it could not compare to later generations. The destruction of the Qin Dynasty was due to many factors, and the Legalists could not be blamed entirely. In this era of great change, only the Legalists could catch up with the times quickly. The various laws and regulations they experimented with in Chen County were very instructive for the Han Dynasty.

The Han Dynasty has experienced 20 years of development and is in the midst of an industrialization wave. The entire world is changing rapidly. The laws, morals, and relationships between people originally formulated in the feudal era are becoming less and less suitable for this era. What the Han Dynasty needs now is the morality, laws, and relationships between people of the industrial era, and these are what the Legalists are good at.

They have been in Chen County for only a year, but they have already begun to use Chen County as a pilot to build a system for the industrial age. From this point of view alone, other schools of thought are far behind. The Han Dynasty needs the Legalists to promote this social revolution.

Society is so realistic. When you are useful, someone will naturally help you to get rid of your previous original sin.

Yang Xiong said: "The Legalists want to rely on you, the emperor."

Xu Fan smiled and said, "Things in the world are always mixed, good and bad. What we can do is to use the benefits and eliminate the harm. In this era of great change, we cannot be complacent. Anyone who is complacent will only be eliminated by the times."

Industrialization is an accelerator of civilization. The wealth created by its 300-year history far exceeds that of thousands or even tens of thousands of years of human history. More importantly, it has also greatly accelerated the development of the times. Any country or civilization that dares to stand still in the industrial age will be eliminated at a speed far exceeding that of the feudal era and the slave era. The best example is the country known as the terminator of history. With more than years of accumulated foundation and the foundation of the world's hegemony, it has only stagnated and regressed for years without any strong enemies. The foundation of its hegemony has been destroyed and the entire country has fallen into a shaky state (after watching the Gallic Olympics, I feel more and more that Western civilization is not a country that is regressing, but the entire civilization is regressing. Now we use an old saying that when a country is about to perish, there must be evildoers. This is very similar to the chaos during the period of dynasty destruction in our history).

When the times abandon you, they won’t even say hello. This is the most realistic portrayal.

"Okay, let's not talk about Chen County anymore. Let's wait for the changes in Chen County. This time, I invited Master Qin to come here because I have something to discuss with everyone. Seven years ago, after the "Equal Wealth and Honor Law" was issued, the salaries of the Han craftsmen experienced a wave of high growth, but after doubling, they fell into stagnation. In fact, due to the economic crisis last year, the salaries of craftsmen actually dropped by more than 10%. Even after the crisis this year, the salaries of craftsmen have not increased."

Zhou Bo hesitated and said, "Your Majesty wants to increase the salaries of craftsmen at this juncture? I think we should wait for the economy to improve in two years. The court is investing heavily in infrastructure, and increasing salaries will only increase the court's costs."

Xu Fan said: "At this time, we should increase the wages of craftsmen. You all know that the economic crisis is caused by insufficient purchasing power. People don't have the money to consume the goods produced by our Han factories. Only by increasing the wages of the lower-class people can we boost the economy and speed up the way out of the economic crisis."

Zhang Cang said: "If everyone's salary increases, it is equivalent to increasing the cost of all factories. If everyone's cost increases, it is equivalent to no cost increase. The court is essentially cutting the profits of merchants into the hands of craftsmen. Even if the court increases the salary expenditure, it can be recovered from taxes. Overall, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages."

At this time, the Han people had another advantage. They harvested the merchants and the merchants had no place to escape.

Qin Bo said: "I will start collecting data and submit a proposal at the Sages Conference."

Xu Fan was not satisfied and said, "The court can't always push the workshop owners like this. It needs to form a perfect system and formulate a minimum salary standard applicable to the entire Han Dynasty. Then, with the power of the court, it can push these workshops to increase the salaries of their craftsmen every year?"

Zhou Bo said: "If we push for an increase in salaries every year, what will be the standard? How will the court implement it? If the extortion is too harsh, I am worried that the merchants will lose interest in doing business again."

Zhou Bo was not against plundering merchants. In the past, the imperial court plundered merchants every 5-6 years, and he thought this frequency was appropriate. But now they have to plunder merchants every year, and even Zhou Bo thinks this is a bit too much. Even if you raise pigs, you have to give them some time to grow.

Xu Fan looked at Zhang Cang and said, "This requires a false appearance. I want you to build an economic model that can calculate the annual economic growth of the Han Dynasty. The incremental power must also include a part of the craftsmen. After all, these wealth is created by everyone together, so naturally everyone should benefit, not just the merchants."

Xu Fan remembers that when he was in school, he often listened to the news about how much the minimum wage in that area had increased, the growth rate, and whether this area had raised the minimum wage standard. Xu Fan, who was still studying at the time, felt that the country was thriving.

But he didn't know when it started, it seemed that he hadn't heard such news again, five years or ten years? Xu Fan couldn't remember, he only remembered that when he was in society, even as a small vendor, he could make 10,000 yuan a month, but now his whole family can hardly make 10,000 yuan a month even if they work hard.

(Ten years ago, small vendors really made money. I don’t know about other people, but I could really make 10 yuan a month by setting up a stall in the street in front of my house. That should be around 12 or . It was the year when I made the most money. After that, each year got worse and worse. Ten years have passed. Now it’s difficult for a couple to make yuan by setting up a stall together. But this doesn’t mean that I don’t know who took the money. The stall fee was more than yuan a month back then, but now it’s more than yuan a month. In this ups and downs of prices, labor is becoming less and less valuable.)
Zhang Cang said: "No!"

Then Xu Fan looked at Yang Xiong and Zhou Bo and said, "The court should set an example in this regard. Starting from this month, you should be prepared to increase the basic salary. It should be based on the profits of each enterprise and the situation of the location. The salary should be increased by 10%. But there are still differences. The increase for master craftsmen and other skilled craftsmen is larger, and the increase for ordinary craftsmen is smaller. Generally speaking, the more wealth a person creates, the higher the salary increase. Our Han Dynasty is to encourage craftsmen all over the world to learn technology and improve their skills."

Yang Xiong said: "Yes!"

Then Xu Fan looked at Zhou Bo and said, "After the implementation of the minimum salary standard system, the court's supervision must keep up. After all, taking money from people's pockets is the most difficult thing in the world. If the court does not pressure merchants to do this, the law will become a formality and useless. The court must mobilize the people and rely on the people to supervise these merchants. Merchants who violate the law must be punished mercilessly or even exiled. For such black sheep, if the court does not expel them, it can only force other honest merchants to become black sheep, and the Han Dynasty will become lawless."

"A prime minister must rule the world. What does it mean to rule the world? It means to distribute benefits well. This is what it means to be a qualified prime minister."

Xu Fan does not believe in the so-called Hayek economics. He is at the bottom of society and has seen clearly since childhood what kind of evil consequences disorderly competition will bring. That forces everyone to do things with the attitude of destroying their own industry. Anyway, as far as he sees it, it is a case of ruining one industry after another.

When Zhou Bo heard Xu Fan's words, he felt a surge of pride and said, "I will not let your majesty down."

Qin Bo said: "But merchants have many crooked ways, many of which are difficult for the court to supervise. For example, some workshops provide meals, but if the court increases salaries, merchants may include this meal fee. Of course, it's fine as long as the calculation is reasonable. I am worried that the craftsmen will eat one meal and be charged two meal fees by these merchants. These merchants are in charge of money, and ordinary craftsmen dare not offend them too much. If the merchants deduct all the increased salaries from the meal fees, then the court's efforts will be in vain."

"There are also work clothes and tools. Many factories require the craftsmen to bring their own, or force the craftsmen to buy their work clothes and tools in order to deduct money. There is also the issue of accommodation. Generally, factories have dormitories for workers, but some unscrupulous merchants charge very high fees. The Mohists have to help craftsmen solve thousands of such problems every year. It can be said that there is nothing that these people cannot do, except for the imperial court."

Xu Fan frowned after listening to Qin Bo's words. So sometimes severe laws and harsh punishments still make sense. Even if you leave a gap, merchants can find a hole to get out of it. If the implementation of the formulated laws is completely unrecognizable, then the laws will become useless and may even become a tool for merchants to benefit.

Just like the mediation system, which was originally intended to reduce administrative costs and was beneficial to merchants, craftsmen and the court, but merchants wanted to turn it into something that was beneficial to themselves.

I will mediate the matter for you first, but I just won't agree. If you have the guts, you can continue to sue me. I will buy you time and make an example of you. As a result, not only did the cost that I wanted to reduce not be reduced, but the time cost of the craftsmen was increased. The three parties' attempt to win ended up with two parties losing.

Xu Fan thought for a moment and said, "Supervising merchants cannot rely solely on the Mohists in the private sector. The imperial court has also taken action in this regard. The imperial court needs to have such a supervisory department, and you, the prime minister, will prepare it."

Zhou Bo nodded and said, "Yes!"

(End of this chapter)