After returning to the mansion, Lin Yanchao was very relieved to think of the discussions of the talented people.

It is said that Confucianism teaches the pedantry of scholars, but in fact, scholars have never lacked correct judgment.

What is correct?

Of course, it is not that what you understand correctly is correct, but what you understand correctly is correct, and that is what the emperor did.

No one except the emperor has this right, unless, of course, he is not just a person, but a philosophical school that uses theory to guide all rules of conduct, from personal self-cultivation to governing the country and the world.

With this theory, both personal and social problems have their own ways to solve them.

Just after talking about the concept of trade and benefiting workers on the same day, Lin Yanchao was suddenly summoned into the palace on the second day, saying that it was summoned by the Son of Heaven.

This surprised Lin Yanchao, since he met in the Hongde Hall that day, the Son of Heaven has not seen the ministers for nearly two months, and all the decrees are notified to the cabinet in writing or orally, how could the Son of Heaven suddenly summon him at this time.

Therefore, Lin Yanchao came to the Qianqing Palace full of apprehension.

I saw the Son of Heaven but saw that he was still lying on the couch, and his right foot was still unable to go down to the ground, but compared to two months ago, the Son of Heaven's complexion was much better.

There are a lot of books and recitals placed next to the couch, and when Lin Yanchao entered, the Son of Heaven was still reading the recitals.

When the Son of Heaven saw Lin Yanchao, he smiled and said, "Lin Qing, look at my complexion?" ”

Lin Yanchao's hanging heart let go of the moment and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, seeing Your Majesty's complexion today, the so-called dragon spirit and tiger fierceness are nothing more than that, and it won't take long to go to court." ”

After Lin Yanchao finished speaking, he saw the Son of Heaven's gaze turn.

Lin Yanchao looked at the face of the Son of Heaven and thought, okay, absenteeism is addictive, and it is very cool to live at home, and it is very cool not to have to go to work every day, isn't it?

However, I have already admonished him, and then Lin Yanchao immediately remedied: "But the minister thinks that the ministers outside are discussing, Your Majesty doesn't have to take it to heart, Your Majesty still focuses on raising the dragon body at the moment, so it is the blessing of the country's society!" ”

The Son of Heaven nodded slowly and said, "The head of the Criminal Department, I am already a heavy punishment, but I summoned you here today, not for this matter, to sit!" ”

Lin Yanchao thanked him and took a seat.

The Son of Heaven said: "I haven't been in the court recently, and it is inevitable that I will be bored, so how about chatting with Qing casually and talking about national affairs?" ”

Lin Yanchao heard this, and immediately said: "The minister is stupid, please ask Your Majesty to teach." ”

The Son of Heaven smiled and said, "Lin Qing doesn't have to be restrained, you and I have been a monarch for many years, and you know everything." By the way, I want to hear Lin Qing's way of governing the country and securing the country, Qing thinks that if he wants to enrich Taicang and make up for the deficit pulled down by the imperial court last year, should he open source or throttle? ”

Lin Yanchao scolded in his heart, eighty percent of people beat their own small reports.

So Lin Yanchao said: "Your Majesty, it can be seen from the Song Dynasty that Fan Xianggong's Qingli New Deal lies in throttling, and the Xining reform led by Wang Xianggong lies in open source, both of which are ways to enrich the country and strengthen the army, but they also have their own drawbacks. ”

The Son of Heaven nodded and said: "Fan Xianggong is Fan Xianggong, Fan Wenzheng, he is also from Wu County, speaking of him, I remember that Mr. Shen is also from Wu County." ”

Lin Yanchao said: "Your Majesty is really well-informed, Shen Ge Lao is indeed from Wu County. ”

The Son of Heaven said: "Mr. Shen's talent is not inferior to Fan Wenzhenggong, Qing thinks that after he is the first assistant, what is the difference between the imperial court and the ten years of Wanli?" ”

Every sentence is a trap!

What is called a companion is like a companion tiger, it is really not bad at all.

Lin Yanchao said: "What Your Majesty said is extremely true, but the ministers think that the peace and security of the country in the world today are all due to Your Majesty's hard work, and the meritorious service of Shen Ge Lao lies in the single-mindedness of the monarch and the ministers." ”

Hearing this, the Son of Heaven laughed and said: "Lin Qing, I didn't come to you to say flattering words, we monarchs and ministers haven't chatted for a long time, what is the difference between today's politics and Wanli ten years." ”

Lin Yanchao could only say in his heart, Zhang Jiangling, I'm sorry.

Lin Yanchao said: "The minister thought that the merit of the new deal back then was in Qingzhang Tianmu, and Qingzhang Tianmu was a good thing, but the officials below did what they wanted, and even deliberately exaggerated and falsely reported in order to curry favor......

"That's exactly the case," the Son ......of Heaven said, "Lin Qing, I heard that the officials below arbitrarily falsely reported the acres of land in the place for the sake of political achievements and to curry favor with Zhang Jiangling, and even some counties re-measured the cultivated fields in the county and reported them twice, do you think there is such a thing?" ”

Lin Yanchao said: "Although the minister has never witnessed it, he is expected to be true......

Speaking of this, Lin Yanchao added: "It's probably overkill." ”

The Son of Heaven said, "You go on." ”

Lin Yanchao said: "The minister thinks that in many places, if the tax is paid according to the acres of land out of Qingzhang, it will inevitably be apportioned to the innocent people, and the tyranny will undoubtedly lead to civil unrest. ”

The Son of Heaven nodded and said, "That's right, I have gained." By the way, I heard something today, it is rumored that when you taught Shu Jishi, you opposed the imperial court's policy of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, and encouraged trade and benefiting workers. ”

Lin Yanchao immediately said, "Your Majesty ......"

The Son of Heaven said: "I am not a pedantic and old-fashioned person, but emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce is a national policy set by this dynasty since the time of Taizu, do you dare to say so?" If I don't ask you today, if Taizu has a spirit in the sky, he will blame me! Or is this Mr. Shin's claim? ”

Lin Yanchao sneered in his heart, Okay, Zhang Whale, I haven't dealt with you yet, but you will deal with me first.

Lin Yanchao said: "Your Majesty, this statement is not said by the minister, nor by the elder Shen Ge, but by Chen Liang, the Confucian of the Southern Song Dynasty, and Ye Shi advocated!" ”

The Son of Heaven said: "I know that Chen Liang, Ye Shi advocates changing the law, and Aiqing's doctrine of merit, I have also read it?" In this way, it is in the same vein. ”

Lin Yanchao said: "Your Majesty, the minister said that the minister's change lies in the merit, and the merit lies in the support of the Majesty, if Your Majesty supports, the minister is willing to serve the prince and the minister, or Your Majesty can also use the minister's idea instead of the minister." ”

The Son of Heaven nodded and said, "Lin Qing, don't I know who you are?" If I didn't believe you, I would have sent the Jinyi Guard to take you down, instead of summoning you to the Qianqing Palace to chat. I have heard that today's learning is manifested in three branches. But I thought it was Aiqing's forestry. What does science sing? ”

Lin Yanchao said with a smile: "Your Majesty, the study of merit, the study of the mind, and the science of science do have strengths and weaknesses. Please let the ministers come to your majesty one by one. ”

"Science, deeds and deeds are taken into account in the inner saint and the outer king. At this point, the study of the mind is different, the difficulty of the study of the mind, the difficulty of entering the WTO, and the difficulty is whether the 'conscience' is the 'heavenly principle'? According to the theory of science, the principle of heaven lies in oneness, but the 'conscience' lies in the conscience of the individual's heart, can the two be unified? Or how can it be unified? No one can say why.

"This year, the study of mind is increasingly aiding Zen into Confucianism, and tends to be the study of birth. Therefore, in today's Confucianism, the only way to talk about the study of governing the world is the study of science and the study of merit, and this way is different. ”

The Son of Heaven smiled and asked: "Lin Qing's words about the different studies of governing the world, is it a battle of national policies?" ”

Lin Yanchao said: "The minister does not dare to talk about national policy, but knowledge lies in being pragmatic in the world and in the way of applying what he has learned." During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the world was divided and wars continued. In order to save the world, a hundred schools of thought contended, Kong, Lao, Zhuang, Mo, Yang, and Han all proposed ways to save the world and founded a school. ”

However, in the end, most of the doctrines were only verbal and could not be put into practice and could not be passed down to the world. Only the study of Legalism is practical learning, and Qin Yongjia destroyed the six countries and the four seas. However, the Qin Dynasty became a Legalist and defeated a Legalist, and Qin's exhaustion of the people eventually led to a storm. ”

The Son of Heaven smiled and said: "I know, so the Han changed the Qin system and invoked Confucianism, but it was not what Confucianism said later, and the hundred schools of thought were resigned to Confucianism. ”

Lin Yanchao said: "What Your Majesty said is extremely true, but in the early Han Dynasty, in order to recuperate, the imperial court practiced the technique of Huang Lao. Huang Lao's technique is to put it bluntly, that is, governing a big country is like cooking a small fresh. ”

Huang Lao's rule of the country and the creation of a free economy are today's words 'small government, big society.' ’

Lin Yanchao said again: "When Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty was in power, he was exempted from agricultural taxes, and it was exempted for thirteen consecutive years. ”

Agricultural tax has been the bulk of government tax revenue since ancient times, accounting for ninety percent of a country's revenue.

Hearing that Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty had exempted agricultural taxes for thirteen years, the Son of Heaven was silent for a long time, and then said: "I can't." ”

In fact, with the current finances of the Ming Dynasty, not to mention the suspension of agricultural taxes for a year, the transportation will be delayed for a few months, and the Ming Dynasty will basically be finished.

When Li Zicheng entered the city of Beijing, he was surrounded by millions of people, of which only 50,000 or 60,000 people in the headquarters, and the rest were surrendered by the Ming Dynasty. These Ming Dynasty troops have not paid for many years, and their entry into Beijing with Li Zicheng is not so much a rebellion, but a more appropriate statement that they use arms to ask for wages.

It is said that Li Zicheng was also difficult to ride a tiger at that time, so he plotted to negotiate with Chongzhen, as long as Chongzhen was willing to give one million taels, the two families would divide the land and rule, and the Dashun army could still help Chongzhen to calm Liaodong outside and suppress other rebels internally, but Chongzhen just couldn't come up with the money.

Lin Yanchao said: "The minister also thought that he couldn't, but the Han used Huang Lao's technique, and the common people were worry-free, but the imperial court couldn't organize 600,000 troops like the Qin Dynasty and send them thousands of miles away to fight, so if you want to defeat the Huns, you must use the Legalists." ”

When the Son of Heaven heard this, his eyebrows immediately fluttered and said: "That's right, if it weren't for the five or six hundred thousand border troops, otherwise I would have stopped my luck long ago." ”

The Son of Heaven originally wanted to say that the agricultural tax had been stopped, but thinking about his pocket, he immediately changed his mind and said that the transportation had been stopped.

Lin Yanchao smiled and continued: "During the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Dong Jiang proposed the confluence of Confucianism and law to create the theory of 'heaven and man induction'. After that, the Han family practiced Confucianism and used Confucianism to educate the people, but it was still the Legalists who governed the country. This is what Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty said about the way of the king's hegemony. ”

"For example, Your Majesty often reads what is said in the recital, 'The Holy Dynasty rules the world with filial piety', but Your Majesty sits firmly in the world, is it purely based on the word loyalty and filial piety?"

Lin Yanchao said this politely, but this is not a big court, the Son of Heaven likes Lin Yanchao to tear apart Wenchen's moral face and say a few thoughtful words to him.

The Son of Heaven smiled and said: "It has been said that the king is miscellaneous, and the word loyalty and filial piety is the royal road." ”

Lin Yanchao said: "It is true, so Legalism is used in the court, and Confucianism is used in the people. However, after Cheng Zhu created science, he emphasized governing the country and leveling the world, and moved Confucianism, which advocated personal moral cultivation, to the temple. ”

The Son of Heaven said: "Lin Qing, I know what you have said so much, but how is this different from valuing agriculture and suppressing business?" ”

Lin Yanchao said: "This is exactly what the minister wants to talk about now, Your Majesty, Physicism, and Legalism all emphasize agriculture and suppress business. But there is a slight difference, the Legalists emphasize agriculture and suppress business, which is to collect the profits of business as state-owned, such as the Han Dynasty to collect the benefits of salt and iron, the Song Dynasty to collect tea and wine state-owned, and later Wang Xianggong changed the law, all of which do not increase the people's taxes, but enrich the country's treasures, the so-called people do not increase the wealth and the country uses enough. This way lies in valuing agriculture and suppressing business, which is also the 'profit out of a hole' that Legalists have always advocated. ”

The Son of Heaven sighed, Zhang Juzheng changed the law, and his proposition was also that 'the people do not add endowment and use enough'.

The Son of Heaven was afraid that Lin Yanchao would see what was in his mind, so he immediately said: "But Confucianism talks about stability and maintaining the etiquette system, why does it also emphasize agriculture and suppress business?" ”

Lin Yanchao said with a smile: "Because Confucianism also wants to change the law?" ”

"Change?" The Son of Heaven was amazed.

Lin Yanchao said with a smile: "Back then, Wang Mang's reform was to adopt the change method that Confucianism said, and the change of Confucianism was retro. Wang Mang reformed, in order to restore the Jingtian system of the Zhou period, but in the end he lost the world. Later generations of Confucianism put aside their involvement, and their words were not in themselves, but all in Wang Mang. ”

The Son of Heaven nodded, Lin Yanchao's words went to the bottom of his heart, and he couldn't know what kind of urine the ministers under him were.

Lin Yanchao said: "In today's world, the science of science thinks that the imperial court is not good, at least compared to the Jingtian system, but at least it is better than having ministers to change the law, so science tends to be conservative, and it is also inclined to protect vested interests. ”

The Son of Heaven suddenly said: "No wonder Lin Qingyan wants to change the law, this move is to trade and work, and then open up for the country?" ”

Lin Yanchao said: "Your Majesty, it is exactly like this, the national policy of valuing agriculture and suppressing commerce was proposed by the Legalists, and it was proposed by the Legalists to enrich the treasury, but the emphasis on agriculture and suppressing commerce in this dynasty has become that the country does not compete with the people for profit, but makes the court poor and the people poor." ”

When Lin Yanchao said this, he didn't say it anymore, because the following words were not straightforward with the Son of Heaven.

On the other hand, the Son of Heaven was a little puzzled, he felt that he had misunderstood Lin Yanchao's changes at the beginning.

At the time of the Industrial Revolution, Britain had a population thirty times worse than that of the Ming Dynasty, but the national income was about the same.

Zhang Juzheng changed the law, that is, he used the state to wage war against the tax evasion of the gentry group, and after he changed the law, Taicang's silver income increased from the original 2 million a year to 6 million a year, although some of the 6 million was the original grain to be changed to silver to pay taxes, but it was also a remarkable effect, and the country continued its life.

But Zhang Juzheng's road, should Lin Yanchao go again?

As a traverser, of course, I think that the development of productive forces is more important than the change of production relations.

The emphasis on agriculture and the suppression of business led to the overriding of stability, which inhibited the flow of population and the transmission of information, and there was no commercial society, and the industrial revolution was all exempt.

But what does it take for an agrarian country to transform into a commercial society?

For the Ming Dynasty, many conditions have been ripe, go to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, take a walk, and take a look at it to know what is the germ of capitalism.

And what about below? How do you get there?