At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty

"Well, I plan to tell the emperor right away, and then ask the emperor to announce this rule to the public. This rule has always existed, but it has not been officially announced to the public, so some people don't know it. It's not their fault."

Guo Peng smiled slightly.

Zhuge Liang's heart was suddenly filled with strange emotions.

This is real?

It is indeed true.

But Zhuge Liang was thin-skinned and always embarrassed to choose the position he wanted, so in the end he refused to say that Guo Peng could only let Guo Jin make up his own mind.

Who should move and who should be kept, that is something Guo Jin should consider.

After talking about these things, Guo Peng and Zhuge Liang talked about the war between Parthia and the Roman Empire.

What surprised him was that Zhuge Liang also understood this matter.

"I often go to various cities to inspect, inspect the market, watch the business situation, and adjust the policy randomly. About two months ago, the minister found that the number of Anxi merchants who traded and traded has dropped significantly. This is not the case in previous years. normal.

So I arranged for an interpreter to contact those Anxi merchants who were still doing business, and learned that there was a war between Anxi and Loumo. , or even not coming at all. "

Guo Chengzhi, who was listening on the sidelines, was surprised.

Guo Peng went all the way to arrange what the bureaucrats in the west of the empire were doing to prepare for this incident. Even if other bureaucrats didn't know whether to pay attention to this matter, Zhuge Liang actually paid attention to it and understood it.

Sure enough, this person is very unusual.

Guo Chengzhi had such an idea.

Guo Peng also felt a little surprised, but he was not surprised. With Zhuge Liang's meticulous style, it is not difficult to know such a thing and make a prediction.

"After learning about this matter, I continued to collect information, and prepared to write a memorial to His Majesty to let His Majesty know about this matter and make preparations early. I never thought that the Supreme Emperor already knew about it, so Your Majesty..."

"Well, the emperor also knew it. I should have known it earlier than you. I also know that the capital of the Anxi Kingdom has been conquered by the Lomo people. The Emperor Anxi was injured and fled. The Anxi Kingdom is in danger, so what you are worried about is happening. .”

Guo Peng's words made Zhuge Liang frown and worried.

"As a result, the three prefectures of the Western Regions, as well as Liangzhou and Yongzhou, will have problems. Supreme Emperor, you...should have a countermeasure?"

Zhuge Liang was very worried at first, but suddenly thought that since Guo Peng already knew about this matter, it was impossible not to react to it, and if he could speak out, it meant that he already had a countermeasure.

Guo Peng nodded.

"It's not really a countermeasure. It's just a matter of making up for it, which can reduce the loss, but the loss will definitely be there. So Kong Ming, if you go back this time, you might be criticized by some courtiers."

"Chen... the Supreme Emperor, do you think there is something wrong with Chen's strategy?"

Zhuge Liang hesitated for a moment, then asked such a question, "Do you think this will bring greater danger to the three prefectures of the Western Regions and the two prefectures of Yongliang and Liangzhou?"

Guo Peng picked up the tea bowl and took a sip of tea, then shook his head.

"Kong Ming, I've never given up eating because of choking. If I don't agree with this matter, you and Mao Jie, it is impossible to do such a thing in Yongliang and the Western Regions. If you can do it, it is in itself That means I agree."

Zhuge Liang was not puzzled by this, of course it was true.

"Forget it in Yongzhou. There are millions of people living in Liangzhou and the Western Regions. No matter how hard they work to cultivate the land, they can't live a better life than the people in the Central Plains. They belong to the Wei people. I don't want to see them live forever. Hard days.

Farming can’t make them full, so let them do business. You can’t let them starve because of the national policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing business. The national policy is a national policy, but Wei is a big country, and the difference between the east and the north and the south is so big that it is shocking. Tongue-smacking, cannot be generalized.

Therefore, Kong Ming, adapting measures to local conditions is the most suitable development method for a big country like Wei. The Central Plains is suitable for growing local grain, so grow local grain. "

Guo Peng looked at Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang nodded slightly, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was so.

"But the problem remains."

"Of course there are problems. It is impossible to have only good things but no bad things. The bad thing about this thing is that we rely too much on foreign countries and need to rely on them to buy our products. Once they have problems themselves, we will also have problems. .”

Guo Peng shook his head: "This is inevitable and will exist for a long time. It is an unavoidable danger in the development of business. If there are no measures to deal with this problem, don't even think about developing business safely. Kong Ming, you have to remember."

"I remember."

Zhuge Liang nodded reflexively, and then he was a little puzzled, wondering why Guo Peng asked him to remember such a thing.

He himself will firmly remember this matter and will not forget it.

Later, Guo Peng asked Zhuge Liang to do all the things that Mao Jie needed to do in Yongzhou and Lu Qian in Liangzhou, restrict the development of private commerce, strictly control the scale, withdraw funds, and then wait for the support of the central government.

Regarding this matter, Guo Peng actually felt a little helpless.

Officials in the Wei Empire, who were dealing with the shock of the economic depression for the first time, were still quite naive.

They are generally not good at dealing with economic crises other than the crisis of small farmers, and they are very uncomfortable with crises in the purely commodity economy.

Of course, this cannot be blamed on them. The economy is a very complicated thing, which requires a very extensive intelligence network and high-speed information transmission, and the concept is relatively abstract, so it is not so easy to understand.

It is difficult for a person whose brain is not fast enough to understand the principles of economics.

In contrast, agriculture, where the predecessors have left a wealth of experience, is much easier to do, and dealing with agricultural crises is also the old profession of Chinese bureaucrats.

Although it cannot be said that it is always successful, and it will cause peasant uprisings and other things, but it can always be formulated, and books on agriculture are emerging one after another.

In the end, the pinnacle of the small-scale peasant economy was achieved—intensive farming, and the cultivation of the land was researched into flowers, and the research was carried out to the extreme.

In contrast, there are very few books on ancient economics dealing with business.

Except for a few well-known business geniuses such as Guan Zhong who proposed research on some economic issues, most of the time, the Chinese were more willing to study agriculture than commerce.

Of course, this is forced by reality, limited by the limitation of productivity, and the development of business cannot be unlimited, but this is a difficult thing to grasp. How to find a balance between restrictions and no restrictions is very difficult.

Therefore, the ancestors simply chose a comfortable one-size-fits-all-emphasis on agriculture and restraint on business.

Long-term productivity constraints and land mergers have gradually dogmatically emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce, which has prevented the Chinese from opening their horizons in time to keep up with the first wave of globalization.

In the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, the Chinese defeated the first wave of Western colonists and drove them away, but they failed to really notice the threat from the sea and open their hearts to face it directly.

The introduction of high-yielding crops, the improvement of productivity, and the explosive growth of population should have allowed China to accumulate enough raw capital facing the sea, jump out of the vicious circle of intensive farming, absorb European technology, catch up, and start the era of great navigation.

The Manchu Qing government, which could replace the Ming government and have the right to rule, did not change the rigid Ming government's ruling methods. Limited by its own limitations and rigid Confucianism, it was unable and unwilling to do so.

In order to gain the ruling power as soon as possible and stabilize their ruling position, while vigorously suppressing the resistance of the landlords and gentry in the south of the Yangtze River, they also reached a compromise with more landlords and gentry.

Snake Tunxiang's way of building the country made their rule always trembling like facing an enemy, and they were extremely nervous. Except for Emperor Yongzheng, almost no emperors dared to make any innovations.

This makes the Chinese lose a precious window period to keep up with the West and avoid sinking.

Wei Empire can't break through the limitation of productivity right now, but Guo Peng thinks this is an opportunity.

It is an opportunity for officials and the public, and people from all levels of the Wei Empire to feel a crisis other than the agricultural crisis.

Not only to feel and face it, but also to record it and pass it on to future generations, so that future generations will know how the Wei Empire responded to this extremely special economic crisis.

The empire has not only an agricultural crisis, but also a commercial crisis.

As long as business and economy are developed, various economic problems will be encountered, and these problems should be studied and answered just like agricultural problems, so that future generations can learn from the experience of the predecessors.

Imperial officials and common people not only need to be familiar with the agricultural crisis, but also the commercial crisis, so as to conduct research and study, and the first batch of real economists in China will be born.

This is a valuable asset that the Wei Empire desperately needs.

Chapter 1538 One thousand four hundred and fifty eight he saw Zhuge Liang's future and end

The Wei Empire needs some economists.

We need some economists who can engage in economics and understand economics. Some purely economic issues should not be artificially involved in political issues.

It's hard though.

This crisis, in the foreseeable future, certain crises will erupt in Yongliang and the Western Regions, which will cause certain losses.

This will definitely make a large number of conservative officials criticize the Yongliang model, and try to end the Yongliang model, and bring Yongliang and the Western Regions back to the fixed track of small-scale peasant economy.

Just like an ostrich will stuff its head into a hole in the ground when it is in danger.

Confucian scholars who have read the classics stupidly will not face the crisis and find a solution to the crisis. They will only take a more direct method-to make the foundation of the crisis disappear.

Business crisis is terrible, so wouldn't there be no crisis without business?

Wouldn't it be nice to be the same as before?

They will try their best to punish Yongliang officials, so that latecomers will never dare to come up with similar solutions to break through the development dilemma.

Over the years, there have been quite a few officials who have continued to attack Mao Jie, and they will inevitably become the initiators of the next political storm.

Zhuge Liang, as the instigator, certainly cannot escape.

The economic crisis will come soon, and Zhuge Liang may face this economic crisis before he is transferred back to Luoyang.

Then when he returned to Luoyang afterwards, the conservative bureaucrats in the central government who were full of anger and skill points would definitely attack him violently.

Let your kid dare to engage in business again!

Let your kid dare to go out of the circle again!

Can he handle it?

"Returning to Luoyang at this time is both an opportunity and a challenge for you. If you are confident, you will have to fight with those old scholars when you go back. You have to face those people. Of course, if you are not willing to do this , you don’t have to go back.”

Guo Peng handed over the choice to Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang didn't have any doubts, not even the slightest hesitation.

"I am willing to go back. No matter how much dissatisfaction the courtier has with me, I am willing to face it. I will never avoid it."

Guo Peng is very satisfied.

A politician who does not dare to face the embarrassment of his political opponents is not a good politician. Only by facing the attacks of his political opponents can he truly become a politician with courage.

Zhuge Liang grew up.

After that, Guo Peng and Zhuge Liang discussed some details together, and then decided what he was going to do.

While talking, Zhuge Liang recommended to Guo Peng Sima Yi, who was working as the guardian of the Annan Governor's Mansion, for some unknown reason.

"Sima Yi, the Annan Protectorate's Mansion, handles affairs properly. Since taking charge of the Annan Protectorate's Mansion, he has also built many cities. The two major commercial roads in the north and south of the Western Regions are equally well developed, and both are indispensable. Sima Yi has made great contributions."

Zhuge Liang sincerely recommended to Guo Peng Sima Yi, who is also good at economic development.

"Besides, Sima Yi was released from the Supreme Emperor's cabinet at the beginning, and he was released as an official at almost the same time as his ministers. If His Majesty wants to choose talents to enter the central government, Sima Yi is also an excellent candidate."

Guo Peng looked at Zhuge Liang.

"Sima Yi?"

"Yes, Sima Yi, Sima Zhongda, the Supreme Emperor should still remember that Sima Zhongda took the initiative to ask the Supreme Emperor for release. According to the Supreme Emperor's rules, Sima Zhongda should also be the one who should be recalled to the central government first."

It seems that Zhuge Liang sincerely wanted to recommend Sima Yi to Guo Peng, and hoped to recall him to the central government.

"Do you have a good relationship with Sima Yi?"

Guo Peng laughed: "I remember back then, you seemed to be in frequent contact with Sima Yi. Are you friends?"

"Yes, during the cabinet period, Chen and Zhongda were very good friends."

"friend?"

Guo Peng nodded: "What about now? You are both two thousand stones, are you still friends?"

"Yes."

Zhuge Liang did not hesitate: "The minister and Zhongda are still friends, and this feeling has not weakened. Although they are far apart, he is in the south of the mountain, and the minister is in the north of the mountain, but they still have correspondence. The minister's wife and his wife are also friends."

"The wives are all in contact with each other, and the whole family is good. It seems that the relationship between you is really good."

Guo Peng nodded and said, "Kong Ming, how good a friend do you think of Sima Yi?"

"very good friend."

Zhuge Liang smiled: "It should be said that they are the kind of friends who can talk about what is in their hearts. Although sometimes...we may not have the same ideas, but we can always discuss with each other what we want to discuss. This is enough to be friends."

"How good of a friend does he think of you?"

Guo Peng asked another question.

This time, Zhuge Liang blinked and didn't reply right away, but was slightly taken aback.

"Should be a good friend too."

"You seem to be hesitating?"

"The emperor, this..."