The Song Dynasty on the Sand Table

Chapter 433 Nine Hundred Years Cannot Be Realized

After passing through a large area of ​​gray fortresses, we entered the "production area".

It was only early spring, and the production area was still in the process of spring plowing and sowing. There were no crops in the fields, only some farmers who were plowing and sowing. The agricultural official who had delivered grain to Yang Tian was standing in a field, talking quietly with the farmers. When the army passed by, the agricultural official turned around, first bowed in the direction of Yue Wenxuan and Gong Er Niangzi, and then waved in the direction of Yang Tian.

Yang Tian quickly returned the gift.

The agricultural official lowered his head again and continued his awkward conversation with the farmers.

Yang Tian watched from afar and sensed an atmosphere. The agricultural official was a respected person here, but he was not arrogant and was very close to the farmers. If he hadn't known beforehand that the official had great power, he would never have imagined seeing him like this.

Thinking of this, the three words "equal status" flashed through his mind.

He lowered his voice and asked Yue Wenxuan beside him, "Young Master Yue, your agricultural officials and farmers seem to be one family. Could it be that... perhaps... the Northern Song Dynasty has already achieved 'equal treatment of the noble and the lowly' before our Chu Kingdom."

Yue Wenxuan turned his head, a strange smile on his face: "I also hope for a system of social hierarchy, but I know it's just wishful thinking. In our Northern Song Dynasty, there is no system of social hierarchy, only 'the capable rise to the top,' and the 'capable' should be one class higher than the 'incapable.'"

Yang Tian frowned slightly: "Then this agricultural official..."

Yue Wenxuan said, "Being one class higher than others doesn't mean you have to put on airs and highlight the differences between classes."

At this point, Yue Wenxuan grinned, revealing a strange smile: "As long as you are strong enough, the people around you will naturally respect you. They will feel from the bottom of their hearts that you are very powerful. Why do you have to put on airs and act superior to others? On the contrary, if you are very powerful but treat those weaker than you with a gentle and friendly attitude, the weak will naturally be drawn to you."

Yang Tian: "!"

He glanced at Yue Wenxuan furtively, thinking: This young master Yue has no official position or status in the Northern Song Dynasty, yet all the officials in the Northern Song Dynasty listen to him. Could it be that he is just saying this? He doesn't need an official position or fancy clothes; he is respected by everyone simply because he is powerful enough?
Thinking of this, he immediately thought of Yang Yao...

After Zhong Xiang's death, Yang Yao became the emperor of the pseudo-Chu state. In order to show his status, Yang Yao lived a life of extreme luxury. Even his bed was inlaid with gold and jade. He not only enjoyed himself, but also abused his military power, burned down countless houses and temples, and indiscriminately killed officials, scholars, monks and Taoists. He called the indiscriminate killing of innocent people "performing the law" in order to maintain his dignity and intimidate his subordinates.

In the end, he went too far!

When Yue Fei arrived, he was abandoned by his followers.

Yang Tian asked somewhat sadly, "Young Master Yue, do you also believe that 'equal treatment based on social status' is impossible?"

Yue Wenxuan: "I dare not say whether it can be achieved in the distant future, but I dare say it cannot be achieved within nine hundred years."

Yang Tian was greatly puzzled: How was this number nine hundred years calculated?

Never mind, that's not the point. Yang Tian continued, "Why can't it be done?"

Yue Wenxuan: "Because of human desires!"

Yang Tian: “…”

Yue Wenxuan: "Do you know? War is the intertwining of human desires. For thousands of years, countless people have waged wars to climb the social ladder, to be more noble than others, all for the sake of standing in the highest position of 'Emperor.' You want to wait until there's no more war in the world?" Yang Tian was speechless…

He kept a relatively quiet schedule for the rest of the trip, observing more and asking fewer questions.

After passing through vast fields of farmland, a small town came into view. This is Yanzihe Town, the southwesternmost town in Shouzhou. The town is bordered by the Yanzihe River on one side and a mountain on the other. This mountain should be considered a branch of the Dabie Mountains.

Yang Tian could see from afar that a large pit had been dug into the mountain in the direction of Yanzihe Town, and a large group of laborers were digging and digging on the hillside...

Yang Tian was greatly surprised: "What are they doing? Why did they carve a huge pit out of the mountain?"

Yue Wenxuan laughed: "That's a cement factory. They're quarrying limestone to make cement."

Yang Tian was completely bewildered: "A cement plant? What's that?"

Yue Wenxuan: "Those densely packed gray forts on the border are made of cement. Cement is not durable for storage or long-distance transportation, so when a place needs to use a large amount of cement, we often choose to build a cement plant nearby. This southwest corner of Shouzhou is far from Shouchun and is surrounded by the puppet Qi and Southern Song dynasties. It may face enemies emerging from the Dabie Mountains at any time, so we built a cement plant here early on to strengthen the defenses here."

Yang Tian understood the strategic plan, but he didn't understand what cement was. He was a little puzzled, and his face showed that he really wanted to go and see it.

Yue Wenxuan said, "Interested? Then go and take a look. The cement factory is hiring. Bring all your men along and come see for yourselves. Those who are willing to work there can stay."

So, tens of thousands of people walked towards the cement plant...

Even from a distance, you can see dust billowing in front of the factory and hear the rumbling of machines—the sound of the steam ball mill in operation.

Yang Tian's men had never heard such a sound before, and they couldn't help but feel a little scared. They felt as if there were ferocious beasts roaring in the mountains ahead, and a large group of them dared not move forward.

Just then, the cement plant gate opened, and Tang Tingshu, a plastic mannequin dressed in a Zhongshan suit and looking quite energetic, walked out.

Tang Tingshu, China's first modern entrepreneur, has recently been traveling around the territory of the Northern Song Dynasty, building factories everywhere.

He is not a scientist, but an entrepreneur. His expertise is not in technology, but in a range of things related to building a business, such as "resource integration," "resource allocation," and "human resource management."

After the cement plant in Yanzihe Town was built, Tang Tingshu's biggest problem was the lack of manpower!
This town is located on the southwestern border of Shouzhou, nearly 300 miles away from the core city of Shouchun, which shows how remote it is. It is really difficult to recruit workers on a large scale here.

Tang Tingshu was sitting in the factory worrying when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. Looking out, he saw a large crowd rushing towards him. He immediately recognized that many of them were dragging their children along and carrying large bundles, clearly refugees. This delighted him, and he immediately ran out excitedly.

Before Yue Wenxuan could even introduce Yang Tian, ​​Tang Tingshu jumped in, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Are you refugees? Anyone want to work in my factory? Food and lodging provided, plus an extra three catties of grain every day!"

The moment the wage was announced, the tens of thousands of Manichean followers behind Yang Tian froze as if they had been struck by acupuncture points: "Huh?"

(End of this chapter)