Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 4051 Social Change
July [-]th, light rain.

Early in the morning, just after Fang Jun had breakfast, Li Daozong and Ma Zhou came to visit together...

In the flower hall, the flowers and trees are verdant and the tea is fragrant. The pattering rain drops on the transparent glass outer wall with a soft sound. The raindrops converge into streams and flow down meanderingly.

Holding a teacup, Li Daozong asked Ma Zhou worriedly, "It's been a few days since the sun cleared. If there is another heavy rain, it will have a great impact on the disaster relief. I wonder how many people still cannot be resettled?"

Ma Zhou was not in a hurry, so he took a sip of his tea and said with a smile, "You don't have to worry, the king of the county. At present, most of the victims have been resettled, and the rest have shelters. It went very smoothly, there are enough clothes, food, and medicinal materials, and the resettlement will be completed soon.”

During this period of time, Jingzhao Mansion and all the yamen in central Beijing participated in the disaster relief under his coordination, working day and night without sleep, and the results were remarkable.Now the disaster victims gathered around Chang'an have been properly resettled in various places in Guanzhong, the government agencies are operating normally, and the disaster situation has basically been eliminated.

Even if there is another heavy rain, with the cooperation of the skilled departments and sufficient supplies, it will not lead to the huge disaster before.

Even though the Eastern Expedition almost emptied Guanzhong, the huge foundation of the empire was placed there, and no matter where it was crowded or saved, it would always be able to solve the imminent crisis.

This is the foundation of a great country, whether it is strategic or economic, it has unparalleled depth...

Fang Jun sat aside and drank tea slowly. Hearing that Ma Zhou was full of confidence, he reminded: "We can't ignore the difficulties. The spring plowing in the whole Guanzhong is almost destroyed. Either there is no time to plow in time, or the fields are flooded by rain. I don’t know how many people will lose their harvest this year. The disaster relief can only be saved for a while. When the food for every family runs out in winter, how much food do you have to give to the relief? The government’s relief can’t keep up, and the people have to borrow from the landlord’s family. There is a slight difference If you don’t have land, you can even sell your sons and daughters, the family will have no permanent property, and the wives will be separated, which will add countless refugees, affect social stability, and cause countless hidden dangers..."

When natural disasters came, ordinary peasants mourned and became pariahs, while landlords and aristocratic families celebrated with joy and joy, because every disaster was a bloody plunder, and the property of the common people flowed into the big households during the disaster.

In this way, year after year, cycle after cycle, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. There is a natural moat between classes, which breeds confrontation, and finally evolves into a monstrous wave set off by the poor in order to survive, sweeping everything inside, and completely perish.

Then redistribute the wealth, spend a period of harmonious and prosperous days, and then gather wealth in the constant natural disasters, and the confrontation between the rich and the poor...

Throughout the ages, dynasties have been in this kind of distribution, gathering, and redistribution of wealth over and over again. The rise and fall of civilizations have been struggling in the nest, and it has always been difficult to break free from boundaries and rise to higher levels.

Ma Zhou was silent for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "So you have been agitating the imperial court to support those handicraft workshops, just to absorb those refugees who lost their land?"

Fang Jun nodded, his expression solemn: "Land annexation has always been the root cause of the collapse of dynasties, but human nature is greedy, and you and I cannot stop this general trend. If you want to eliminate the resulting social turmoil and class antagonism, you can only find another way. .Developing commerce, and even encouraging and supporting those workshops that can absorb a large number of refugees for employment, not only can resettle the people who have lost their land, give them a way of life, but also bring a lot of tax revenue to the court, which is a strategy that kills two birds with one stone."

But this road is not a one-and-done solution. It is still the same sentence - human nature is greedy, and business can indeed solve the life problems of the proletarians, but it cannot really eliminate class contradictions.Moreover, the progress of business is endless. When it develops to a certain stage, there will inevitably be a scene where capital coerces politics, and the entire country will become a vassal of capital...

However, has there ever been a truly perfect system in human society?
In ancient and modern China and abroad, they just chose a path that is more suitable for them under their respective national conditions...

Ma Zhou pondered for a moment, and agreed: "Although business has always been humble, Erlang, you should be right. From now on, I will promote and support commercial development under the rule, especially those shops and workshops that can hire workers on a large scale. , try to see if we can seriously solve the difficulties of the poor people’s lives.”

He has never been a person who sticks to the rules. Since he thinks this road works, he will try it bravely and not be afraid of taking responsibility.

After all, merchants have been regarded as lowly businesses since ancient times. If the imperial court strongly supports them, it will inevitably lead to criticism. It is necessary for those scholars who are proud and arrogant to impeach them...

Fang Jun reminded: "While supporting merchants, we must also formulate corresponding laws to restrict them, protect the interests of workers as much as possible, and strike a balance between the interests of workers and merchants, otherwise it will lead to endless chaos. Prohibited exploitation makes workers reduced to cattle and horses, and is squeezed dry by those merchants."

The capital's possession of labor is not completely unpaid, but part of it is given, that is, the part that embodies the value of labor, and this part is converted into wages.The remaining part is occupied by capital without compensation, which can be called "exploitation", and this is where the interests of capital lie.

When the value of wages is equal to the value of labor force, laborers cannot escape the control of capital.Without capital, workers cannot obtain other sources of money and cannot maintain their own survival.

In this case, workers must accept the control and exploitation of capital.

The characteristics of capital determine that control and exploitation are endless. Every capital wants to drain the last drop of blood and sweat of laborers in order to create the greatest value under the condition of paying the same salary... If it cannot be restricted by law, The workers are reduced to cattle and horses.

Of course Ma Zhou has never read "Das Kapital", but he is a smart man, and he quickly understood the truth from Fang Jun's words, and solemnly nodded: "A sword has two fronts, and any policy has its pros and cons. What the imperial court has to do is to maximize the strengths and avoid weaknesses, optimize the strengths of a policy as much as possible, and at the same time reduce its shortcomings. I will think about this matter carefully, and then ask Your Majesty to try it out for a period of time under the Jingzhao Mansion, and then observe it. , Check for deficiencies and make up for omissions, and measure the pros and cons.”

Fang Jun praised: "Brother Bin Wang is really the leader of the country. He neither shrinks back in the face of difficulties, nor is he blindly confident and bold. .”

There have been many reforms throughout the ages, some have succeeded, some have failed. Most of the losers are lack of research and blind self-confidence. Huge obstacles lead to the failure of change.

For example, the rapid development of commerce will attract more refugees and people to participate in it, which will inevitably lead to a sharp decrease in the number of people farming and reduce the income of landlords.But at present, all the foundations of the powerful families are located in countless lands. It can be seen how much their interests will be damaged by commercial development. How can they sit idly by and remain indifferent?
How to strike a balance between landlords and businesses and offset or reduce the resistance of landlords is the primary condition for commercial development to be implemented in the end.

Li Daozong, who didn't intervene, laughed, pointed at Fang Jun and said to Ma Zhou: "Don't be fooled by this man. Supporting merchants and prospering business was originally his strategy, but now he wants you to follow this strategy." If you have achieved something in governance, everyone knows that Fang Erlang is a visionary and talented man, but once you encounter disasters, setbacks, or even crazy resistance, it is too insidious for you to bear it."

Fang Jun held the pot and poured tea, smiled without saying a word.

Ma Zhou calmly accepted Fang Jun's offer of tea, and said calmly: "Some people point out the country and formulate policies, and some people are diligent and dedicated to everything. Someone must do what they think is right. As for whoever faces difficulties, whoever waits Avoiding the edge, what's the point? As long as the people benefit and the country benefits, we will naturally be happy and see death as home."

Li Daozong was stunned for a moment, before admiring: "Bin Wang is indeed a famous official in the world. He has a heart for the country, is dedicated to loyalty, and is a role model in the world! Don't worry, the whole guard of Youtun will give full support. If those profiteers and wealthy households dare to obstruct, This king immediately sends troops to go, murdering and ransacking the house is no problem!"

Fang Jun squinted at him and sneered.

Seeing this, Ma Zhou laughed and said, "My minister, thank you for your understanding and support, but you should take care of the guard at the right, lest you be taken over by someone when you wake up, and you can't even assign a single soldier, and become the laughing stock of the world. "

Now Li Daozong succeeded Fang Jun as the General of Youtunwei, but Fang Jun's control over this army is solid, not to mention that Li Daozong didn't try to clear Fang Jun's influence and take full control, even if he did, it would never be possible in a short time Unless he ignores the decline in combat power and offends Fang Jun, he completely replaces the officers above the middle rank.

At this moment when Ma Zhou mentioned it, Li Daozong didn't feel any embarrassment, he just smiled and said: "Youtunwei is Erlang's army, and this king is only in charge of it for a period of time. I believe it won't be long before the property has to be returned to the original owner."

The current situation is a bit delicate. If His Majesty wants to change the reserve, he must cut off the wings of the Eastern Palace first, and Fang Jun bears the brunt; but if His Majesty wants to stabilize the court after the change of storage, he has to appease the officials of the Eastern Palace, and Fang Jun still bears the brunt... So now Your Majesty is fighting Fang Jun's military power is so straightforward, and he must still be so enthusiastic about returning all these military powers in the future.

So even if it is the number one powerful army in the world like You Tunwei, Li Daozong has no intention of getting involved at all. Since he knows that it is impossible to own it, why bother to offend others?
(End of this chapter)