C667 Killing! He had killed his own country! (1/2)
Zai Chun's talent was clearly better than Shang Tai's. To be able to ask such a question meant that had a very deep understanding of the knowledge he had imparted and was extremely diligent. Xiao Letian was deeply gratified.
”I have never systematically studied Buddhism, but I really admire the causality of Buddhism. Every representation has its causes and effects. Some are simple, some are profound …”
”To repay debts with one's life, this is a relatively simple causal link. Growing wheat while you are trying to harvest rice is obviously impossible. Being a cow-shedding rascal in your dreams just because you are sick of learning from a young age doesn't show it …”
”Actually, there are reasons to analyze social issues. However, it's much more complicated. It's often the countless fruits of the past that cause the present. Karma is entangled together and it's impossible to analyze everything else …”
”I say today that bureaucracy has hurt the birth of Chinese capitalism and the process of industrialization, and that this is only one of many historical causes. There are many more that have led to the consequences today...”
”Land annexation is a big problem. The amount of land that can be cultivated in the Central Plains is limited, and the plains have basically all been annexed by the landowner class. Extreme poverty of farmers has always been a destabilizing factor for society.
”Speaking of natural disasters and man-made disasters, I've read the notes of the Southern literati. I can't remember who wrote them, but he once said that the West Lake was frozen almost every year in the late Ming Dynasty, and they could drive horses …”
”Take a look, by then the weather has already become extremely harsh, the north has continued to dry up, and the temperature in the south is also decreasing. I call this climate the Little Ice Age, and since nature is so cruel, it made it even more impossible for the extremely poor farmers to survive. A rebellion is unavoidable …”
”We can't decide on the weather with our bare hands, so let's see if we have entered a cycle of death.”
Although King Shang Tai was the sovereign of the island countries, he still had a deep understanding of the Central Plains civilization. He let out a long sigh and said, ”That's right, when the Central Plains Empire was first established, it had already experienced a drastic decrease in the war and its population had dwindled. Its land, population and natural economy all entered a period of recovery.”
”However, when the empire experienced several generations of population expansion, land conflicts began to rise. Gradually, land annexation reached its peak, and the poor citizens who were unable to survive in extreme poverty had no other choice but to rebel. Another great war broke out, and another new dynasty was born on the bones …”
”War is the final solution to the problem of land annexation, sigh …”
Xiao Letian laughed. His two disciples had gained enlightenment and he had not taught them for nothing … ”Alright, that is the death cycle of Middle Age. But now that we have met a major change that has not been seen in three thousand years, this cycle of death is about to be broken …”
”The core of the problem is industrial upgrading! As the saying goes, change rules, general rules do not hurt, obviously the land already can not support more people, why not consider industrial upgrading? Why are people locked in the ground? ”
”If you don't have land, why don't you develop your business? The output of an acre of vegetable garden was far above the grain, so why not let the people circulate for a long distance trade? For a commoner to go out and open a path for another commoner, what kind of evil law is that? ”
”During the Ming Dynasty, there were skilled weavers in Jiangnan. The money earned from one year of weaving brocade was enough for a family of three to live a life of plentiful food and clothing. Didn't they live well without land? Is no land really the end of the world? ”
Xiao Letian took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, ”I wonder if you guys still remember the matter of food in East Asia last year?” The two disciples nodded furiously.
”Actually, the food in this world is more than enough for us to enjoy. The rice in South Asia is ripe every year, and deep sea granary is everywhere along the long coastline. Earth's resources are extremely abundant, and that depends on whether we have a way to move them …”
”Rice from Southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, the Ryukyu and Jiangnan is being delivered to the capital through the hands of merchants. Within half a month, I can return the price of the rice back to Kanggan and Golden Age. What am I relying on?” ”Isn't this the power of a merchant …”
”It's a natural choice for people to live under the heavens whether or not they sell goods. Even for those poor mountain folk, if the trading road is opened up, the herbs, wild game, exotic flowers, plants, and wood in the mountains …” Can't countless specialties be exchanged for money? ”If the money can't be exchanged for food, then so be it …”
”Look, the development of industry and commerce is a very effective way to solve this cycle of land annexation. But unfortunately, the civil officials have completely suppressed the merchants, so the power of industry and commerce cannot be unleashed at all …”
”Without the development of industry and commerce, why should we negotiate industrialization? The essence of industrialization is to increase productivity and efficiency, to make goods cheaper and more productive, and then to exchange them for the resources the country needs … ”
”That's what Britain did. Back then, when Napoleon swept across Europe, Britain and France were clearly at war, but why did the French army provide Mao Mao, who was taken by the French army? ”It's because Britain was the first to industrialize, and their woolens kept prices down to the lowest in the world...”