Lao Zhu frowned when he heard this, and his face was a little displeased, "The legislation does not allow others to produce matches?" Is your family going to take over all the good business in the world? ”

"Wechen's business is not important, soap has long been learned by others, and the glass can be called a huge profit that everyone covets, and Wechen has never asked the emperor to legislate and prohibit it because of his own selfishness. Although this match can make some money in the future, it is limited after all, and the reason why the emperor is legislating to protect it is really out of a public heart! ”

Xu felt that what Ma Du said made some sense, and Lao Zhu thought about it for a while and said, "Then tell me about your public heart." ”

"This match is not Wechen's business, nor is it made up by Wechen, but from the hands of the students of the college, who have worked a hot day, carefully verified, and constantly practiced to have this little match."

"Oh? Didn't you say that the match was obtained from a gentleman's manuscript? ”

Ma Du nodded and replied, "Yes, I did get it from a gentleman's manuscript, but after all, it was just a few lines of words that people seemed to understand. From boring words to living and useful objects, just like setting an ambition to completing a dream, there is a long way to go, and there are countless efforts to pay, among which the emperor understands the hardships best. ”

Lao Zhu took out another red-headed match, "Look at what you said, isn't it just a small match, I don't know and think they have done something earth-shattering." ”

"This is indeed not an earth-shattering feat, it is just a strange and obscene skill that is not worth mentioning in the eyes of ordinary Confucian scholars."

Lao Zhu smiled and asked, "Isn't it?" ”

"If matches are considered kitsch and prostitution, then construction, iron smelting, weaving, and boiling salt are all kitsch and lewd skills, but no one has abandoned them because of this, otherwise I should be sitting in a cave with my bare ass and drinking blood, and Your Majesty's invincible army can only fight with people with stones and sticks......"

"Don't talk nonsense, when did I say no, what do you want to say?"

Ma Du originally just wanted to talk to Lao Zhu about the patent, but since the conversation was introduced, he simply did it to the end, "The four people of the world, since ancient times, are all scholars and farmers, and craftsmen and merchants sit at the bottom, and I am the same with the Ming Dynasty, and I also followed the Yuan Dynasty craftsman household system, so that they can ...... from generation to generation."

Lao Zhu interrupted unceremoniously, "Is there anything wrong!" You also said that this has been the case since ancient times, Confucian scholars rule the country, and farmers cultivate the cornerstone of a country, without them, who will support this huge country? ”

Lao Zhu was conservative and reactionary, especially disliked the way that the Confucian emperor ruled the world with scholars, but he still had to use Confucianism to govern the country, and spent huge financial resources to cultivate Confucianism.

"The emperor is right, Shinong can be Anbang, but industry and commerce can strengthen the country, and the emperor can see the benefits of industry and commerce."

Lao Zhu's face was indifferent, "So what?" Could it be that the craftsman merchant Jia was also allowed to enter the court as an official, and the court was not messed up. ”

"Who said that the craftsman merchant Jia entered the court to be an official, most of the craftsmen only have skills and are not proficient in writing and ink, and most of the craftsmen who want to be officials will not be good craftsmen. As for the merchants, they are more interested in profit than righteousness, and they must not enter the court. ”

Lao Zhu smiled: "I thought that you would say good things to the merchants all day long, so what are you complaining about for them?" ”

"Weichen is the emperor's courtier, so he naturally attaches importance to the court, and he is only in line with businessmen for profit. The emperor's decision to pay so little commercial tax is already a great favor for them, they have silver in their hands to get drunk on gold, enter the house in the house of dignitaries, and give him a crack to drill and live, there is nothing to pity. Weichen wants to say a word for the craftsman, the craftsman is the most bitter group of people in my Ming Dynasty. ”

The craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty wanted money and no status, and the whole family was detained in the government-run workshop, relying on rewards to live, and they were exploited by officials at all levels. Obviously, food and clothing are not guaranteed, but once the court has any projects, they must be the first to be recruited, and they must often fight with the army, and maybe they will die outside and bury their bones in a foreign land.

This is the vanguard of the working class in the Yuan and Ming dynasties, which is obviously the source of power for social progress, but it is like a prisoner, so that it is not okay to only talk about sacrifice and dedication without asking for returns, and the children and grandchildren must do it, so that the craftsmen of the entire Ming Dynasty are constantly fleeing, who still talks about development and innovation, and Western firearms began to surpass China in the middle of the Ming Dynasty.

Naturally, the craftsman encountered Lao Zhu knew that he did not get preferential treatment like the farmers, and in the final analysis, the ethnic group was too small to be taken seriously. Lao Zhu always has compassion for the poor, and it seems that he can not do without the credit of this group of people to be able to conquer the world, "Then what do you think should be done?" ”

"Give the craftsmen a certain freedom, change the sitting craftsmen to shift craftsmen, work for the imperial court when they are busy, make a living by virtue of their crafts in their spare time, exempt from taxes for light forced labor, select outstanding children to study in the academy engineering, give heavy rewards if they can improve ordnance, and grant patents for creating and inventing people's biological resources......"

After listening to Ma Du's endless words, Lao Zhu rubbed his temples and said: "According to you, everyone will be a craftsman, and I can't understand it when I say so much, go back and get a detailed charter, I will give preferential treatment as appropriate." What's that patent? ”

Ma Du pointed to the match in Lao Zhu's hand, "It's the law that Wei Chen just told you, what others have made up is not allowed to be produced and traded indiscriminately." ”

Lao Zhu snorted in his nose, "That's not to do a unique business, I don't think it's good." ”

"It's not that it's an independent business, others can do it if they want, you have to give some money. No matter how good the craftsmen are, they can't be any big officials, and it's best to have money to improve their lives, but this patent is not so easy to get.

As long as you have the ability, anyone can apply for this patent, and the same is true for the college. Now that the expenses of the academy are getting bigger and bigger, Weichen is gradually overpowering, and one day the academy will be able to maintain its own expenses only by collecting royalties, and will not become a burden to the royal family. ”

"In that case, you can draw up a charter and hand it over, and send it directly to me without going through the political secretary."

I didn't expect Lao Zhu to be so talkative, Ma Du arched his hand and said: "Weichen is going, and when he picks up his mother another day, he will hand it over together!" ”

Watching Ma Du leave briskly, Yuan Sheng smiled and said: "Uncle Guo is really kind, and he can't look down on poor people like the emperor." ”

Lao Zhu kicked Yuan Sheng and scolded: "If he accepts your son to study in the academy, you will repay the favor and help him deliver good words from time to time in front of me." It is normal for him to be a disciple of the Mo family and a craftsman, but today's words are completely selfish. ”

"Then isn't the emperor still on the right track?"

"I had the intention to treat the craftsman preferentially, so I waited for him to open his mouth to sell his personal favor, but I didn't expect him to be calm. Why don't you agree to things that are good for me, haha......" Lao Zhu suddenly suppressed his laughter, his expression was a little gloomy, "The Manchu Dynasty is as civil and military as a wolf and a tiger, and what waves can craftsmen make." ”