eldest son of Ming dynasty

The Ming Dynasty was a small-scale peasant economy, and its initial development always relied on external sources, which was similar to the later generations of Zhu Houzhao.

But the theme of this era is not peace and development, which forced Ming Dynasty to first earn peace on its own.Therefore, it cannot be said that the first ten years were wasted. On the contrary, the cultivation of national strength in the first ten years is absolutely indispensable.

The end point of the Northwest War was indeed designed as Zhu Houzhao said.

Therefore, at this stage, it is indeed appropriate to encourage the cabinet and court officials to start discussing the word industry.

In fact, without Xing Guan, Zhu Houzhao would have planned to do this.

The difference is that he is not a businessman and does not have a strong business concept, so he just wants to create a good environment, and then use the vitality of the people to let it grow freely.

But Xing Guan analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of the cotton textile industry with him through his own research and thinking.

Before that, he didn't even pay attention to the difference between linen and cotton, because Zhu Houzhao's own living conditions were very good, and when he became the emperor, he couldn't come into contact with people wearing linen. Even if he really encountered them, it was inexplicable who would sit down. Tell him, the emperor, how uncomfortable it is to wear clothes made of this kind of material?

That's why it has been delayed until now.

With Xing Guan's words as an introduction, Zhu Houzhao could quickly understand, because he was the only one who knew that the British relied on the cotton textile industry to dominate the world.

The word industry is so important. When we say that a place is economically developed, it must be supported by one or several advantageous industries.

For some modern small countries and regions, one or two advantageous industries can often make the entire country enter the ranks of developed countries.

Such as the gaming industry in Macau and Monaco.

The so-called economic competitiveness can actually be understood as industrial competitiveness in a narrow sense.

"...The word industry was not originally said by Xing Guan, but was summed up by His Majesty after listening to Xing Guan's words, and then slowly spread." Gu Zuo, with everyone watching, put one hand behind his back and the other He kept making gestures and said, "Xing Guan's original intention is to expand the scale of sea trade. This is his responsibility as the manager of Ningbo Port. Taking silk as an example, if you want to expand the scale, it depends not only on how many mulberry trees are planted in Zhejiang, but also on how many mulberry trees are planted in Zhejiang. How many weavers and looms are there, how many pieces of silk can be produced every year, and more importantly how many people will buy the silk produced.

The price of silk in Jiangnan is about 16 to [-] taels. Even a family with a few people who have a worry-free life is basically reluctant to buy it. What's more, this dynasty has ancestral restrictions on the wearing of silk.After silk went out of the sea, the price became more expensive. Even cheap inferior silk cost more than [-] taels per piece. How many people can afford to wear it at such a price?Are the people in those barbarian lands richer than the people in the Ming Dynasty?It's probably unlikely. "

The four cabinet ministers and six ministers nodded after hearing this. This truth is not difficult to understand, and they are all smart people.

He Jian, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, said: "Under these conditions, it is difficult to expand the scale of silk. Even if it can be produced, it cannot be sold. If production is really increased, the price will fall, which will ultimately harm the Ming Dynasty itself. "

"That's the truth." Gu Zuo emphasized, "This is true not only for silk, but also for porcelain and tea. Porcelain is unique to our country, and some of the exquisite porcelain is especially popular among Westerners. But ordinary people who are worried about food and clothing, Maybe it would be good to have a pottery bowl, but where can we use porcelain? Based on this, Xing Guan began to communicate with businessmen from various countries in Ningbo a few years ago, and inquired and verified from many sources, and that is why today's Jian Zai Di Xin was created."

"and many more."

Gu Zuo turned to face the source of the sound, "What are your doubts, Mr. Ge?"

Wang Hao stroked his beard, "After talking for a long time, I still don't understand why the two words are so important? Mr. Yang Ge also said that this is related to Japan, but it is so important?"

Gu Zuo pursed his lips. He was sure of what he just said because they had discussed it with Xing Guan, Jiang Yong and others many times.

But the next words are not so confident.

"Mr. Ge, what follows is the speculation of me and a few others, because so far no country or dynasty at home and abroad has really achieved industrial prosperity."

Wang Hua was surprised, "Does the Han and Tang Dynasties also count?"

"Strictly speaking, it doesn't count."

Yang Yiqing said: "Let Qing Li speak first." Gu Zuo nodded, "According to the assumption, once the industry develops, it will lead to a rapid expansion of the scale of sea trade. You might as well think about it, if a country suddenly has the financial resources to purchase 1000 yuan from Ming Dynasty every year. With ten thousand taels of silk, how will the Ming Dynasty change?"

He made a 'one' gesture, "First of all, the imperial court will have a lot of income, and the same goes for private merchants. In order to supply such a large amount of silk, the Ming Dynasty had to increase looms. If there were more looms, it would be necessary Hiring more weavers also requires more raw materials. If the raw materials are not enough, prices will rise. In the past, people sold a load of silk for 2 taels of silver, but this year it suddenly became 4 taels. Not to mention the increase in income, it will also cause Folks are planting more mulberry trees.”

“But with more mulberry trees planted, there are fewer rice fields.”

Gu Zuo immediately said: "If you have money, you can buy food. Buy it from neighboring provinces. In this way, even if the people in neighboring provinces do not make a living, they can still earn money from farming. Furthermore, I wonder if you have ever thought about how to get the loom? "

So he made the 'two' gesture again, "The development of the silk industry will drive the increase in demand for looms. The production of looms also requires workers and raw materials. This is a link we know. In fact, this link is more It is complex and the chain is longer. For example, to transport more goods, more ships and more sailors are needed. Shipbuilding itself also requires raw materials and workers...

If this goes on forever, the number of people relying on this chain for survival will reach tens of thousands or even 10,000+ people.These people do not farm, but when living in towns, they need basic food, clothing, housing and transportation.Ultimately, the power of just one industry can make big cities like Hangzhou and Ningbo prosper. "

"Third, this is what your Majesty has considered. The reason is that the businessman values ​​profits. Since he values ​​profits, he will want to save costs. How to save costs? How can we weave more silk with fewer people? Improve the loom , optimizing the production process, etc. This process will stimulate creativity, and no one knows what will be born. Just like people used bamboo slips in the Han Dynasty, and now use paper, the advancement of skills will make people's lives more convenient.

With these two or three points in mind, I wonder if you can understand why industry is important?This is basically the foundation for the prosperity of a town and a country.It is easy to think of these things, and the reason why Xing Guan allows His Majesty to mention it in front of you is because he has found an industry that can turn these ideas into reality.I wonder if you still remember that I said before that silk is not a suitable industry. "

Yang Yiqing raised his eyelids, "Then what is suitable?"

"Cotton Textile Industry."

"cotton?"

"Yes, it can be understood that way. There are sufficient sources of raw materials, because cotton is easy to grow; the production process is simple, and it is not difficult to find craftsmen who can turn cotton into cotton cloth; the transportation process is also simple, it is light and will not deteriorate; finally , the demand is huge because the price is cheaper than silk, and everyone needs to wear clothes. Just now, I used silk as an example. Now switch to cotton. If cotton can sell 1000 million taels every year, can everything become a reality? "

In fact, he even said that 1000 million taels was less, because he said it casually.

But nonetheless, it's still shocking.

"It turns out that His Majesty has this overall situation in mind."

Yang Yiqing was extremely calm. He said in a slightly hoarse voice: "More than that, if the national treasury is abundant, the army will be well-prepared, and the Ming Dynasty will be able to go all out. The prosperity at that time can also be far away from the Han and Tang Dynasties. It's a pity that this Xing Guan has gone to Japan, otherwise he should be allowed to go to Beijing to see him."

"After Japan is conquered, can the cotton textile industry take off? Besides, acting like this is just like... just like..." Mao Ji was still a little sad about this situation in his heart.

Fortunately, he didn't say the last two words after all.

In fact, the conquest of Japan has nothing to do with the cotton textile industry. It is just an excuse.But how to put it, although irrelevant, it is still profitable.However, everyone is a civilized person, so some things should not be said explicitly.

Wang Bing was originally dissatisfied with his previous words, so he was not polite, "Mao Shangshu, you are His Majesty's Minister of Industry, an official of the Ming Dynasty, not a Japanese official."

This is an unpleasant thing to say.

"It is useless to talk about this anymore." Wang Hao stopped him in time, "Sir, now that the matter has been explained clearly, His Majesty's holy will has also been made clear. I think it is time for the cabinet to give His Majesty a memorial?"

This is the act of picking fruits.

Yang Yiqing did his duty, "Of course it should be. As a minister, you should share your worries for the king. The situation in Japan is still unknown, but the northwest war is going well, and the post-war disposition will soon be done. According to what was just said and His Majesty's long-term plan, the cabinet We should gather the efforts of everyone to submit a specific and feasible charter to His Majesty for quick implementation and bring the national strength of Ming Dynasty to a higher level. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a matter for Yang alone, but for all of us."

"Yes!"

After Shou Kui spoke, there was naturally no more nonsense to say.