He, Son of Heaven, who is the boss, is so busy, not to mention the ministers like Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi who he has roped in to work as cows and horses.
In order to reduce the burden on the ministers, Liu Xie changed the stay in the palace to handle government affairs to a shift system. Today, those who are responsible for assisting in handling government affairs in the palace are Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang. They were left by Liu Xie to have dinner together.
Ordinary people think that Son of Heaven is full of delicacies, but this does not exist in the Imperial Palace, because Liu Xie does not like luxury and advocates simplicity.
Unless it's a big banquet, it won't be that luxurious.
Even if Liu Xie left Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang to eat together today, it would only be three or four side dishes and a soup.
Of course, the cooking method can be called unique. This is the cooking method Liu Xie specially taught to the palace cooks. After all, the cooking methods in this era are too simple.
"Your Majesty's simple food and clothing and his resting with the people are truly admirable.
Sima Yi made no secret of his praise for Liu Xie. Although he was flattering, he was telling the truth.
Liu Xie shook his head when he heard this and said, "There are more people than me Great Han, and these vegetables are already considered a luxury."
"I wonder how many years it will take for me, Great Han, to regain the prosperity of Emperors Wen and Jing after the world is unified."
The losses of war cannot be recovered in a short time.
Especially Great Han has gone through such a long period of war.
Population, food, and systems all need to be restored slowly, and this will be a very long process.
Zhuge Liang held the soup bowl and smiled slightly when he heard the words: "With Your Majesty here, I believe that in less than ten years, the world will be in great order."
"But that alone is not enough."
Liu Xie sighed, the current Great Han was still a long way from the prosperous age, and changes had to be made. He thought for a long time and felt that now was the time to prepare for reform, and he could not wait until the world was unified to start everything.
Hearing this, Sima Yi couldn't help but ask, "I wonder if Your Majesty has any good ideas that you want to implement?"
Sima Yi is good at figuring out people's thoughts. When he saw Liu Xie's expression, he vaguely guessed what decision Son of Heaven had come up with.
"I do have some ideas."
Liu Xie did not deny it. He put down his hand Wine Cup and said, "I intend to change the policy of focusing on agriculture and suppressing business and support business development."
Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi's expressions suddenly changed when they heard this.
Improve Merchants status?
Since ancient times, Merchants has been the cheapest among people of agriculture, industry and commerce.
Because farming is the first priority in any dynasty, Merchants is regarded as a person who makes money through opportunism, so his status has always been low.
But now Liu Xie is saying that it will start improving the status of Merchants. This is completely putting the cart before the horse and going against Tiangang!
Sima Yi said slightly eagerly, "Your Majesty, this move may cause dissatisfaction among the people of the world, and it will have a great impact on State."
"Merchants is not engaged in production, how can Imperial Court support their development?"
Not only Sima Yi objected, but even Zhuge Liang also nodded and said, "What Attendant Sima said is right. If Your Majesty wants to open up the policy to support the development of business, then the number of people engaged in business will definitely increase greatly. By then, agriculture will not be developed, and the country will be in danger!"
Merchants You can earn a lot of money without having to work hard, but the price is low status.
No matter how rich a Merchants is, farmers can still look down upon him when they see him, and Merchants avoid him when they meet on the road.
Although this is said, the rich Merchants is actually more powerful, but if the people lose even this last bit of superficial superiority, then the country will be in chaos and the consequences will be unimaginable.
Liu Xie was not surprised by the opposition of the two people, but he did not respond immediately. Instead, he asked, "Sima Yi, Kongming, I want to ask you a question."
"Which is more beneficial, whether it is to keep wealth among the people or to keep wealth in the country?"
This is a macro topic.
Hiding wealth among the people means that a country's wealth is distributed in the hands of its citizens; hiding wealth among the country means that all the wealth of a country is concentrated under the control of the country.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides.
Hiding wealth among the people: The people of the country are rich and live a prosperous life, but the country's expenditure and control are not.
Wealth is stored in the country: the country controls most of the wealth and can freely use it, but the wealth in the hands of the citizens is pitiful or not rich, and the wealth at free disposal is low.
Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi looked at each other, cheered up, and began to debate this issue.
"I think it would be more beneficial for the country to hide its wealth."
" Only when State Treasury is sufficient can the army be strong and strong, and the country be stable and prosperous. Only then can the people be protected to recuperate and live and work in peace and contentment. If the country is not strong, how can the people be stable?"
Sima Yi was the first to say.
Hiding wealth in the country is a state that most emperors aspire to, but few dynasties can achieve it.
After Sima Yi finished speaking, Zhuge Liang shook his head and said, "If wealth is stored in the country, the country will be stable. Dare I ask State of Qin if it is not strong and rich?"
"First Emperor dominates the world and dominates the world. State of Qin's national power is the strongest in the world. However, the people suffer and eventually the second generation dies."
"Only by hiding wealth among the people, making the people happy, and being surrounded by the people, can the dynasty continue for a long time. This is the foundation of eternity!"
Zhuge Liang expressed his views and opinions.
However, Sima Yi dismissed it because Zhuge Liang's idea was too idealistic and would never work.
The people are getting rich, but the country has less money at its disposal. What can be used to strengthen the army, and what can be used to control natural disasters and floods in various places?
When wealth is stored in the country, only when the country becomes prosperous can it have enough energy to feed its people. This is true throughout history.
But he didn't want to argue with Zhuge Liang in front of Son of Heaven, but looked at Liu Xie and asked carefully, "What do Your Majesty think?"
In his opinion, since Son of Heaven raised this kind of question, he must have already made a conclusion in his heart, and he just wanted to hear their thoughts.
"Whether it is hiding wealth in the country or hiding wealth in the people, I do not agree with either view."
What surprised Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang was that Liu Xie didn't support any of his views. He dipped his finger into some wine and wrote the four characters "" on the case.
The people are rich and the country is strong!
After seeing these four words written by Son of Heaven, Sima Yi was stunned and said doubtfully, "The People Are Rich, the State Is Strong? Isn't the country rich and the people strong?"
But if you think about it carefully, the meaning of these four words seems to be in the direction of hiding wealth among the people, but Son of Heaven just said that he does not agree with either statement.
Zhuge Liang has broader knowledge than Sima Yi. Hearing this, he explained to him, "The People Are Rich, the State Is Strong, comes from the words 'The People Are Rich, the State Is Strong, the People Are Rich, the State Is Strong, the People Are Rich, the State Is Strong, Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue·Outer Biography of Goujian's Return to Yue' in "Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue·Outer Biography of Goujian's Return to Yue".
"But I don't know what Your Majesty means by this statement?"
Although he knew the source, these four words in his opinion were definitely not as simple as he imagined.
Because these two sentences seem to be the same, but their meanings are completely opposite.
What is a country?
The country is the king, Altars of Soil and Grain, Imperial Court. The country is prosperous and the people are strong, which means that only when the country is strong can the people become rich.
But the People Are Rich, the State Is Strong puts the people before the king and the country. Its meaning is close to hiding wealth among the people. It is essentially the concept promoted by Mencius.
That is to say, the people are the most valuable, Altars of Soil and Grain is the second most important, and the king is the least important.
Although Son of Heaven has claimed to be people-oriented throughout the ages, it is actually country-oriented.
What do these four words mean?
When Sima Yi heard this, he looked at Zhuge Liang in shock. He did not expect that Zhuge Liang even knew the origin of this sentence.
Thinking of this, Sima Yi secretly gritted his teeth and said, "Damn Zhuge Village Fool, you are so knowledgeable..."
"Kongming is really full of poetry and books."
Liu Xie praised Zhuge Liang's profound knowledge, and then said, "If the country wants to be strong, it cannot do without farmers, and it cannot do without Merchants. Qi State is an example."
"In the Spring and Autumn period period, Qi State's commerce and trade were prosperous and the country's power was unparalleled; agriculture was the foundation of the country, and business was the key to making the people rich and the country strong. We should not neglect one and lose the other."
"Only by developing both agriculture and business can a country prosper for a long time. Excessive promotion of one side or excessive suppression of one side will eventually lead to backlash. How can we talk about a strong country?"
Liu Xie's words made Zhuge Liang fall into deep thought.
Sima Yi asked directly, "What Your Majesty said may make sense... but what is the explanation for promoting agriculture and business simultaneously?"
"Agriculture is agriculture, and business is business. How can we develop both sides simultaneously?"
Liu Xie had never heard of the theory mentioned by him. How could agriculture and commerce develop together and be on equal footing with each other?
The two are essentially irreconcilable, because the profit earned from business is dozens or hundreds of times that of agriculture, and it is also easier.
Liu Xie smiled slightly and said, "This is exactly what I am going to say next."
Chapter 415 Rail Freight Wagon, what is the primary productive force?
"Agriculture is the foundation of a country's strength, and commerce is the foundation of its wealth. Both are indispensable. One cannot be neglected at the expense of the other."
"Merchants Focusing on profits rather than production is the disadvantage of business. If you focus on business, you will waste agriculture. Therefore, if you want to develop business, you must make agriculture strong."
"The key to a strong agriculture is to increase productivity. Only when people have enough to eat can business prosper."
"So the first thing I want to talk to Sima Yi and Kongming is that the key to improving productivity is the development of technology."
Liu Xie said to the two of them with bright eyes.
What he wants to talk to Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang today is the path Great Han will take in the future and the direction of development.
But Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang looked at each other in shock when they heard this.
Improve productivity? Develop technology?
This is a new vocabulary they have never heard of.
Sima Yi asked with some embarrassment, "Excuse me for being stupid, but I would like to ask Your Majesty what do you mean by productivity and technology...?"
"It's very simple."
Liu Xie smiled and patiently explained to the two of them, "Take weaving as an example. A piece of cloth is 40 feet long and 2.2 feet wide. A skilled weaver can weave about one piece of cloth a day."
"But after I invented Jian'an Machine, this speed was increased several times. Weavers can weave more Cloth in the same time."
"This is the relationship between technology and productivity. As weaving technology improves, production speed also increases."
Liu Xie gave a simple and clear example.
The Jian'an Machine he produced was a dimensionality reduction blow to the textile industry of this era, greatly increasing the production speed of Cloth.
"I see, I understand."
Zhuge Liang suddenly understood, and then asked, "Your Majesty means to increase food production and ensure the stability of agriculture through the development of technology?"