Whether in the Great Wei Sacred Dynasty or any other dynasty, developing technology, improving livelihoods, and building strength all ultimately came down to transforming thought.
Back in his previous life, Brother Xun and his contemporaries had understood that thought and ideas, culture and understanding, were the soul and core of a civilization.
Some dynasties back then had formidable navies and high GDPs, yet they still ended up as fat meat carved up by bandits.
Why?
Understanding!
Thought!
Culture!
These things had shackled people's horizons back then!
And now?
Whether to protect their own interests or simply out of personal prejudice, many of those in power looked down on people of servile status.
But Lin Ke knew that human potential, individual qualities, and many other things could be brought out.
In this world, thought was shackled. Everyone believed that dragons begot dragons and phoenixes begot phoenixes, unaware that a carp could leap through the Dragon Gate.
A scholar of servile status would not necessarily be any worse at studying than someone in the noble registry.
The notion that "those of servile status must remain lowly all their lives," or even that "those of servile status must remain lowly for generation after generation," had to be shattered.
Only by shattering it could the Imperial Court usher in growth.
Of course, Lin Ke would benefit from that too.
More importantly, Lin Ke had a grand blueprint in his heart.
In his previous life, regardless of the dynasty, what mattered most was winning the hearts of the common people, the artisans, and the scholar-officials...
Anyone who supported the Imperial Court's main source of strength had, by and large, risen to the very top.
In many periods of his previous life, manpower had represented everything for the Imperial Court: more people meant more cultivated land,