New Shun 1730

Liu Yu had been avoiding using steam engines to destroy the small peasant economy. Under Liu Yu's inducement, the emperor's attitude towards science and technology was a special attitude.

Liu Yu knew what the progress of the times was, but he did not tell the emperor all of it.

But Liu Yu did not lie, he only told part of the truth.

Liu Yu did not say a word about the development of Southeast capital industry and commerce, dumping in the interior, the bankruptcy of small farmers, the utopian subjective petty bourgeoisie theory of equal land, the general bankruptcy of rural gentry due to the impact of machines, the inferior gentry of rural areas, the intensification of conflicts between landlords and farmers, etc.

What did the emperor see?

Or, what did Liu Yu want the emperor to see?

What he saw was a joke made by the emperor at the beginning, so on the land of the Academy of Sciences, saltpeter and guano stone transported from Zhoushan were used as fertilizers in a luxurious manner, and a wheat field with an acreage yield of 800 kilograms was accumulated.

What we see is the military industry with increasingly tight organization and high-tech craftsmen, and under this military industry, the people's rebellion is simply a dead end, because the people can neither build warships nor bore excellent copper cannons. As for the craftsmen and workers who have mastered advanced productivity, it is unprecedented to do it themselves. Isn't it groundless to worry about this? Just worry about the small farmers.

What we see is that the steam engine is used for dock work, which has enhanced the naval power of the court and ensured the physical connection between the capital and the money bag and rice bag.

What we see is that the "Grand Canal without water" mentioned by Liu Yu may really appear within a few decades. This means that the garrison of Dashun in the capital can be mobilized to all parts of the country within a month, making the rule more solid.

The relationship between small farmers and steam engines is not a linear relationship between shoemakers and shoemaking machines, but a tortuous relationship. The emperor's vision, under the deception of Liu Yu's deliberate obstruction of fog and fire, has no way of seeing its impact.

On the contrary, he only saw the benefits: Yes, steam engines can produce clothes and cloth, so that small farmers can hardly survive; but Liu Yu covered it up. What the emperor saw was that steam engines can draw water and irrigate farmland, making the small peasant economy more stable, and the Dashun Dynasty will last forever.

Everything has two sides, and Liu Yu hid the negative side from the emperor and only showed the positive pattern to the emperor.

So, a silver coin is a flower when you look at it once, and it is still a flower when you look at it again, and it is still a flower when you look at it a hundred times, so it must be obvious that both sides are flowers.

So, what are the benefits of building a large factory in southern Sichuan, and combining steam engines with coal mining and salt boiling in the eyes of the emperor?

The benefit is that "fewer people use it."

Fewer people use it, is it good?

It's great, it's so good, it's just flying!

The emperor wished that there were only 700 or 800 workers in the Xishan Coal Mine, and then they could supply coal for the entire capital!

This is not the same as small farmers.

The emperor's fear of "mines" in all dynasties was never about the few hanging money from the mine owners, but about the thousands or tens of thousands of organized, complex, group-living workers who were completely unlike scattered potato farmers.

But mines are different from salt.

Salt can be reactionary to the point of destroying the salt-drying method, distributing iron pots to each household, controlling coal and firewood to cook salt.

Coal... you can't just go dig a pit by yourself, right?

Can we not dig coal?

Of course not. If we don't dig coal in the capital, wouldn't half of the population of one million die in winter?

The emperor was worried about "taking away the people's business", and the "people" he was worried about were small farmers and small producers.

And mining, which small producers and small farmers can't do at all, the emperor wished that all of them were robots.

It must be understood that in the eyes of the emperor, not all machines that can replace people are necessarily bad.

The most perfect system in the eyes of the emperor is that the whole country is a big rural area, and then the puppets of the refinery mine, transport and sell the puppets of the refinery. Everyone uses labor coupons to trade in a truly fair way, and everyone gets the perfect income from their labor to prevent mergers - the ultimate fantasy of the reactionary petty bourgeoisie.

Liu Yu would not foolishly think that the emperor would oppose any machine. On the contrary, Liu Yu knew very well that the emperor would strongly support machines that are beneficial to the rule.

Therefore, he used the example of one Han against five barbarians and I have oxen plowing and iron making, while others are slash-and-burn farming. From the perspective of the emperor, his understanding is: it takes fifty people to produce 10,000 kilograms of grain under slash-and-burn farming, while it only takes five people to produce 10,000 kilograms of grain under oxen plowing and iron making - as long as the grain is replaced by coal, mines, iron and other industries that the feudal dynasty controls most strictly and is most afraid of accidents, it will be fine.

The reality is here. The mine must be opened. If it is not opened, Dashun cannot even cast coins or burn coal.

It must be opened, and the output is insufficient.

Now two choices are before the emperor:

This industry is a black hole of public security, a dark place of evil, frequent riots, and constant lawsuits.

Should more people do it?

Or fewer people do it?

These words that Liu Yu said to the emperor, the content that really touched the emperor, condensed, although Liu Yu did not mean this in his heart, but the emperor condensed it to mean:

Reclamation of northern Jiangsu will give small farmers a way to survive; Sichuan salt will enter Hunan and Chu, and the court will have money; Sichuan salt production will surge, but there is no need to increase too many workers; Xishan Coal Mine can even lay off more workers in the future to ensure the existing production.

Later generations may think that when the feudal landlords saw the steam engine, they exclaimed that this thing would take away the food of the common people in the future, which is purely the imagination of later generations after opening their eyes.

This thing is a crude steam engine, an iron ox, not a CNC fully automatic loom.

As for the steam engine of the Academy of Sciences, the only way the emperor could connect this big iron lump with small farmers after seeing it is that if there is a fucking drought in Henan, Shandong and other places, if a group of these things are put on the ground to carry water, the people will How can you rebel?

Or maybe I thought that if this thing could really run and plow the land, then eating beef in the Water Margin would not be considered a heroic act.

The starting point for the collapse of men farming and women weaving was not the steam engine, but the Selfaktor Mule, translated as a spinning machine, or simply a mule machine.

Even if the so-called spinning jenny appeared in Dashun, people would laugh out loud. This spinning spinning machine in Dashun, let alone making money, would only prove that if the wife’s house is not lost within a year. The spinning was not fast enough, so the compensation was not fast enough - of course, old China had its own weird national conditions here. 117 years after the advent of the steam engine, there was a historical record that hand-woven rolls won the partial counterattack of machine layout, which is the only one in the world. share.

Steam engines are juxtaposed with water power, waterwheels, cattle, and horses.

What replaced the chariot was the stirrup, not the faster horse.

The emperor's attitude towards steam engines was very clear: support.

Our attitude towards railways is also very clear: support.

We also support the abolition of water transportation after ensuring smooth shipping and eliminating the Japanese threat in Southeast Asia.

The simplest, water transport workers, raised the Bailian, Qinglian, Luo, Wuwei and other sects that the feudal emperors least wanted to see.

Therefore, on the issue of southern Sichuan, Liu Yu had paved the way for it for twenty years. The emperor did not directly express his support as long as he did not open mines at will and indulge everywhere.

Instead, he laughed loudly and said: "My dear, I have a lot of thoughts, which is not unwise. But as the ancients said, a wise man will always make mistakes after thinking a lot. There is actually another benefit to doing this. My dear, you might as well think about it again."

Liu Yu hurriedly said: "A saint has far-sightedness, but I really can't match it. People say that the person who is the emperor is both emperor and teacher. I have already thought of all the benefits I can think of, and I really don't know what else is there."

The emperor looked at Liu Yu thinking hard and said with a proud smile: "When you said that just now, I thought that for example, in the Maolong Silver Mine, a large number of workers can both mine and cast."

"Transportation is inconvenient and blocked by mountains in the mountainous areas of the southwest. If there is ever an expedition to Burma in the future, all we need to do is mobilize a group of cannon-casting craftsmen from the capital, use people from the local mining areas to do their job, and recruit people from the local mining areas to assist the engineers."

"First of all, this field gun is light, but the siege gun is heavy and difficult to transport to the southwest. It can be cast there. But without these industrial foundations, it will not be so easy."

"Secondly, if Aiqing's siege and tunnel tactics are assisted by the common people, they will ultimately be unskilled. But if the miners join the army and assist the engineers, it will be easy to break the city."

"The policy of loving Qingnan in Chuannan also serves this purpose."

"There are both miners and iron smelters. If there is chaos in the southwest in the future, there will be no need to go through all the trouble of transporting siege cannons across thousands of miles. All we have to do is send out cannon casters and assist with local workers. Can be forged."

"At the same time, the southwestern chieftain's watchtowers were either shelled or excavated by miners to assist engineers."

"If southern Sichuan is done well, it will be, as Ai Qing said, the anchor and bridgehead of the southwest."

After saying that, he glanced at Liu Yu again and said with a smile: "Now I understand Aiqing's little thoughts. It's just the same old thing, just like Aiqing and the others joked, she wanted to open the window, but she said roof."

"It's obvious that I'm talking about Xuzhou Prefecture, but I'm talking about the whole Shu region; I'm obviously going to follow the story of Songjiang Prefecture, but I'm talking about laissez-faire... What else can I say now? Have I wronged you?"

Liu Yu immediately pretended to be shocked, his face was horrified, and he said: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty has insight into people's hearts. I... I am so smart that I thought... I thought..."

Li Gan snorted: "What do you think? You think I don't understand the benefits, and you want to catch me and say that the land where Yi and Han are on defense is not suitable for mining. Then Maolong Silver Mine will follow the story of Su Qin and Zhang Yi? Are you such a smart person? , you don’t have to use it in the future, just say whatever you want, can’t I distinguish between likes and dislikes?”

"If you said so directly in the memorandum, why would you make this trip?"

Liu Yu tried his best to make his back look like it was wet with sweat, but he thought in his heart that you know a hammer, this matter is too involved, if I just go straight to this, I'm afraid you don't know what to think. Woolen cloth. Besides, I have to give you a chance to "enlighten" me and give you a chance to "be both emperor and teacher", right? Besides, what nonsense are you thinking about? Why do you have to transport cannons to the border to attack Burma? How big cannons can't the navy transport by sea? Wouldn't it be over if we captured the coast and forced a treaty to be signed? Or wouldn’t it be enough to capture important coastal towns and exchange borders?

He holds a navy in his hands, but his mind is still obsessed with land warfare...

Besides, there are other things going on here, so I won’t come over. Regarding the general direction, I really don’t know what you think.

While he was pretending to be frightened, the emperor said again: "That's all, even if you don't come, I'm going to send someone to look for you. After reading your first few memorials, I wanted to ask my beloved. Since that's the case. Aiqing just happened to come to ask about Sichuan Nan, so that’s just right.”

"Your Majesty said before that we should build roads in Haizhou and encourage private capital to build roads so that coal can be transported in the future. I was thinking, would it be feasible if we could connect Xishan Coal to the capital?"

"I have only seen this kind of thing in the Academy of Sciences. It looks like a carriage and a large cart. It can carry thousands of kilograms on the rails. It runs like flying without the horse getting tired."

"It's most suitable for transporting coal. Aiqing also wants to recommend talents. I think so..."

"You recommend some people to try out many new policies in southern Sichuan first, and also improve their skills and techniques. If it is feasible, first solve the problem of Xishan Coal Mine to solve the problem of insufficient coal supply in the capital due to the increasing population in recent years."

"From the prefect to the minister of industry and commerce, all kinds of industrial and commercial personnel in Xuzhou Prefecture should be managed by you as the Minister of Industry and Commerce. You don't need to recommend anyone for salt."

"You are in charge of production. I also think your official transportation and business sales methods are quite useful. You don't need to worry about how to transport, sell, and collect taxes, after all, it is not legitimate, and the court still has salt officials."

When mentioning salt administration, the emperor couldn't help laughing again.

"Originally, I only wanted to attack Huaihai and affect the Huaihe and Haizhou salt fields. Now, from Shanxi Hedong salt, to Changlu in the capital, to Huainan, Fujian, Guangdong, and Shu, it has affected the whole world."

"But when I think about it carefully, I feel that there is really no harm. Every time I read history books and read about the old stories of Emperor Taizong of Tang, I feel the same way. I am afraid that future generations will not be able to catch up, and they must solve the Goguryeo issue."

"Now I understand Emperor Taizong of Tang's thoughts more and more."

Liu Yu thought to himself, well, he is praising himself?

"Your Majesty has great ambitions, and our dynasty is as far-sighted as the heavens and the earth. I often think about it. If there were such navigation technology and such a great struggle among nations during the Tang Dynasty, what would it be like?"

"Every time I think about this, I feel that even if the Li Tang Dynasty is restored, it will not be better than this."

After quickly praising him, the emperor actually nodded and said, "Your words hit the point. Before, whenever someone talked about how great our dynasty was, I felt insecure."

"At that time, the population in Jiangnan was not yet abundant, and the navigation method might not have used the star-pulling board, let alone the things like muskets and copper cannons."

"Even this ”

“So every time I think about this, I also think like you, first think about what would happen if Tang had both navigation and guns and bronze cannons, and then make a comparison.”

“As for how it would be, that can only be left to future generations to judge.”

“Take the salt reform as an example. After reading your memorial, I can’t help but sigh at some of the truths in it.”

“The same truth is used to compare this dynasty with Han and Tang dynasties. It’s actually the same.”

Sighing, the emperor couldn’t help but think of a metaphor in the fourth memorial submitted by Liu Yu before.

The fourth memorial first told a story: When someone passed through the door, he was obviously very high, but he always bent over. People were very curious and asked him why the gate was bent over? The man said: My father bent over when he passed through the door, so I bent over when I passed through the door. Isn’t it natural to bend over when passing through the door?

And his father was nine feet tall, nicknamed Touching the Sky; while he was five feet tall, nicknamed Three Cun Ding.

This story is also called "carving a boat to find a sword" or "waiting by the tree to wait for the rabbit". It was originally used by Han Feizi to satirize Confucianism.

Just like when shooting an arrow, you have to tilt the arrow upwards and raise it one inch to hit the center; but if you use a musket, but still raise it one inch, it means you are mentally ill.

Originally, Liu Yu used it to talk about the reform of the salt administration. The general idea is:

The salt administration of the previous dynasty had its own reasons and was suitable for the previous dynasty.

However, the current dynasty has its own situation. If you still use the system that suits the previous dynasty, it is like carving a boat to find a sword.

The salt administration and the opening of the Central Plains of the previous dynasty are both tax policies and national defense mobilization laws.

However, the border conditions and surrounding situations of Dashun are no longer the same as those of the Ming Dynasty.

The rationality of the salt administration of the previous dynasty lies in the dual significance of taxation and national defense mobilization laws.

Now the significance of national defense mobilization is no longer needed in Dashun, and taxation has become an obstacle, so a thorough reform is needed.

Originally, he was talking about salt, but through today's topic, the emperor was sighing in his heart about the differences in technology, external situation, and surrounding enemies between Dashun and Datang.

What exactly should he do to make sure that he does not feel guilty when there is a complete generation gap in technology, firearms, and navigation?