GBP Chapter 840 Is this black sesame dumpling something seriously wrong with it?
Chapter 840 Is this black sesame dumpling something seriously wrong with it?
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Zhu Biao clearly overlooked one fact.
The Ming Dynasty itself did not lack people.
With a population of over 70 million, it is a uniquely populous country in the entire world.
The reason for the misconception of a manpower shortage is that the Ming Dynasty is currently in the early stages of transitioning from an agrarian society to an industrial society.
In an agrarian society, almost everyone serves the purpose of farming. Those who own land are called "min" (民), and those who do not own land are called "liu" (流). Everyone depends on the weather for their livelihood.
In an industrial society, those without land could work in factories, screwing in screws to earn money; those without land or food could buy it; and the idea that one would starve to death without land did not exist.
To put it simply, agrarian societies emphasize men tilling the land and women weaving, and the principle that those who till the land own it.
Industrial society emphasizes division of labor, with each person performing their own duties.
Unfortunately, the basic national policy of the Ming Dynasty is to prioritize agriculture and suppress commerce. It operates like an agrarian society from beginning to end, and the entire country, from top to bottom, is still exploring the process of transitioning from agriculture to industry and the future development trend.
Give the simplest example.
Each adult male will be granted fifteen mu of land.
This was the kind of game that Yang Shaofeng first came up with in Ningyang County, and it gradually became a national policy that Lao Deng vigorously promoted.
Currently, across the entire Ming Dynasty, with its dozen or so provincial administration commissions, over a hundred prefectures, and more than a thousand counties, almost all the common people are in a state where "each adult has fifteen mu of land."
For ordinary people, farming and storing up food is more important than anything else.
As for making money in the workshop?
Sorry, I can work in the workshop and earn money, but it can't interfere with my farming. Otherwise, I'd rather not earn this wage.
Because during years of famine, grain can always be exchanged for money, but having money doesn't necessarily mean you can buy grain.
Then the problem is coming.
Can the imperial court allow land annexation and then let the people who lost their land work in the workshops to earn money?
The answer is no.
There was a dynasty in history that did this.
That dynasty was called the Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty court didn't take the common people seriously, and the common people didn't take the court seriously either.
Even after the Song Dynasty collapsed, no one called for overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty and restoring the Song Dynasty; they only wanted to expel the Manchus and restore China.
In contrast, during the more than two hundred years of the Qing Dynasty, there were people almost every year calling for "overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming".
Aside from the contradictions brought about by the transition from agriculture to industry, there is an even more important reason: Zhu Biao did not understand the differences between industrial society and agricultural society at the national level.
While pondering haphazardly, Yang Shaofeng looked at Zhu Biao and said, "May I ask Your Highness, is the Dengzhou border market lacking in glass products, or in glass products produced in Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture?"
"What the Ming Dynasty lacks is water presses and steam engines, or water presses and steam engines produced in Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture?"
"For the workshops in Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture, is the lack of skilled workers or the lack of able-bodied people from Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture?"
The three questions in a row left Zhu Biao completely stunned.
After a long while, Zhu Biao finally let out a long sigh of relief and said, "I misunderstood."
"What the market lacks is glass products, and whether these glass products are produced in Ningyang County or Zhili Province is not important to the market."
"What the Ming Dynasty lacks are water presses and steam engines, not water presses and steam engines specifically produced by Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture."
"Similarly, what Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture, and even the entire Ming Dynasty's workshops, lack is workers, not workers from any particular prefecture or county."
Once he opened up his mind, Zhu Biao felt as if he had discovered a whole new world.
"This is just like what I was thinking before about changing the chieftain system in the southwest to a more centralized one."
"What I want is for all the chieftains in the southwest and even the entire Ming Dynasty to undergo the reform of replacing chieftains with centrally appointed officials, rather than using water pumps and steam engines to accomplish this."
“If the people of the Tusi can make money and get land, they will naturally support the reform of the Tusi system. A few Tusi chiefs can be arrested and killed on any pretext. They are not worth worrying about at all.”
"..."
As Zhu Biao got more and more excited, he gradually veered away from the topic of manpower shortage and towards the reform of the Tusi system.
Yang Shaofeng was completely bewildered.
and many more.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
Does this black sesame glutinous rice ball have some serious illness?
Now I'm talking about the manpower shortage in Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture under my jurisdiction, you bastard!
Seeing that Zhu Biao was getting more and more excited and was gradually losing control, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but snort and say, "Your Highness, the matter of replacing the chieftains with centrally appointed officials can be discussed later."
Yang Shaofeng quietly reached out and pointed in the direction of Li Shanchang: "The Duke of Han hasn't taken the bait yet!"
Upon hearing Yang Shaofeng's words, Zhu Biao immediately came to his senses, exclaimed "Oh!" twice, and said, "Yes, and there's also the Duke of Han."
But as soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Biao felt something was off.
"We'll talk about other things later."
"But shouldn't you tell your younger brother about the grain reserves over the past five years?"
Zhu Biao looked at Yang Shaofeng and said, "That's more than 70 million people. To store enough food for more than 70 million people to eat for five years, let alone letting the people grow their own food, even if we robbed all the stored food from Siam, Annam, and Burma, it still wouldn't be enough, right?"
Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but click his tongue.
Look, look, this is the famously kind-hearted crown prince in history.
With a single word, he would plunder all the surrounding vassal states.
He truly deserves to be called Chang Yuchun's good son-in-law.
While mentally ranting, Yang Shaofeng said, "There's definitely not enough to go around by robbing."
"Those poor guys around here, to say they're dirt poor is to say they're living a rich life."
"Therefore, we can only rely on the people of our Great Ming Dynasty to cultivate it themselves."
Zhu Biao frowned and asked, "Rely on the people to grow it themselves?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a flash of inspiration struck Zhu Biao, and he looked intently at Yang Shaofeng, asking, "Has the Agricultural College developed high-yield seeds?"
Yang Shaofeng simply curled his lip, "I have been with Your Highness all this time. Doesn't Your Highness know whether the Agricultural College has any high-yield seeds?"
After a slight pause, Yang Shaofeng simply pointed in the direction of the Dengzhou fleet: "Your Highness, do you see that fleet over there?"
Zhu Biao nodded, and Yang Shaofeng continued, "Isn't it a waste to keep such a large fleet docked at Dengzhou's port every day?"
"Once the second fleet is completed, our Great Ming will have two fleets."
"Instead of spending money to keep them at the port every day, it would be better to send them out."
"Go and do business with the barbarians of Europe."
"To explore the unknown lands of the ocean."
"What if there's a high-yield crop on some land?"