Yan Jiaoran's question was certainly not groundless.
Instead, it was a question that Qin Yuan suddenly thought of based on the classes he had taken before.
By changing from brutal slash-and-burn farming to collaborative farming, food production has increased.
The slave-owning Shang Dynasty was replaced by the Zhou Dynasty, which adopted the feudal system, patriarchal system, and well-field system.
Collaborative farming was transformed into iron plows and ox-drawn plows, and grain production increased further. The princes needed more grain, so they plundered land and population, leading to a chaotic war.
The Qin Dynasty came onto the stage of history by sweeping across the six kingdoms.
So if there comes such a day in the future, the agricultural technology of the Zhou Dynasty will also undergo major changes.
Is it a good thing or a bad thing for Da Zhou?
Although on the surface, grain production increased, it could feed more people and the court could also obtain more taxes.
But once the population becomes too large and reaches a certain limit, and we are unable to support so many people, won’t war break out again?
Because Qin Yuan, that bastard, said that whether it was the Xia Dynasty that turned from a tribe to a dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty that turned from slavery to feudalism, or the Qin Dynasty that turned from feudalism to a unified country, it was all because of the advancement of agricultural technology that led to increased grain production and a surge in population, which caused distribution problems and led to changes in the dynasty system.
From this perspective, isn’t the Great Zhou in great danger?
"My wife, I'm really pleased that you can discover this." Qin Yuan nodded in agreement with Yan Jiaoran's words.
"But you're totally overthinking it. How can agricultural technology innovation be so easy?"
"Think about it, there are only a few agricultural gods living in the temple, and they receive incense from thousands of families."
"It would be better to open up the wasteland properly."
"Besides, based on my understanding of the Great Zhou, it's highly likely that it won't survive the next revolution and will be doomed."
What? !
Upon hearing this, Yan Jiaoran was stunned.
"Husband..."
Yan Jiaoran opened her mouth with difficulty and said slowly, "Are you saying that the Great Zhou will perish before the next agricultural technological advancement?"
"Therefore, there is absolutely no need to worry about the possibility of a country being destroyed due to advances in agricultural technology!"
The words fell.
Yan Jiaoran's face instantly turned gloomy.
Qin Yuan, this bastard, actually said that the Great Zhou would be destroyed if it couldn't survive the next advancement in agricultural technology?
How is this possible!
This bastard is cursing himself again!
All the previous achievements have been wiped out!
Yan Jiaoran was extremely angry.
Qin Yuan was talking excitedly, not paying any attention to Yan Jiaoran's expression, and continued: "My wife, it seems that you have already mastered a lot. It is indeed the truth."
"My dear, do you still remember the two questions I asked you before the lecture?"
"Of course I remember!"
It was these two problems that made Yan Jiaoran lose her appetite and troubled for many days!
Immediately, he repeated Qin Yuan's question.
"Why is it that at the beginning of a dynasty, the emperor is always wise, and after two or three generations of emperors, the country often reaches its peak of prosperity, but then several generations of emperors are followed by incompetence, and ultimately power falls into the hands of relatives, eunuchs, and powerful officials in the harem until the dynasty is destroyed?"
"Why does the phenomenon of 'long-term unity must be divided, long-term division must be united' repeat itself over and over again across China? Why do dynasties generally last no more than 300 years? Is the succession of dynasties truly the natural cycle of the five virtues counteracting each other?"
"Not bad." Qin Yuan nodded, "It seems that my lady has been working very hard these days."
"Now, I will tell you the answer!"
"This is partly called, Dynasty Lifespan!"
Yan Jiaoran couldn't help but prick up her ears and concentrate, afraid of missing a word.
If she guessed correctly, this must be about 'luck', if this damn man could really say it accurately.
Then maybe he really is a banished immortal from heaven!
Soon, Qin Yuan's explanation began.
"Actually, my lady, we've discussed the issue of dynastic cycles many times before, and I've already explained the two important components to you separately."
"Well……"
Yan Jiaoran was a little distressed, although she remembered the details of every meeting with this bastard very clearly.
But she was sure that she had never heard of anything related to it.
Could it be that he told Ming Zhanxue?
"Do you want to say it again?" Yan Jiaoran asked tentatively.
Qin Yuan tapped Yan Jiaoran's eyebrows with his finger, smiled and shook his head and said, "My wife, you!"
"It goes in one ear and out the other. I can tell I didn't review it properly."
“You should know that reviewing the past can help you learn new things!”
"You can't just listen to it and forget about it, you have to think about it all the time."
Yan Jiaoran was a little annoyed and rolled her eyes at the bastard. "If you want to talk, just say it. If not, forget it and go to sleep!"
Qin Yuan was just getting into the swing of things, so how could he just let it go? He said immediately.
"I used the chessboard to arrange the rice earlier to explain the number of royal family members to you, right?"
"Yes, I remember."
Yan Jiaoran nodded. She was deeply impressed by this incident and couldn’t figure it out after a long time.
"The same principle applies to the population of the dynasty."
Qin Yuan sighed and said, "Last time we talked about the Qin Dynasty and didn't go on. Now let's extend it and talk about it in detail."
"Whether it's the system of the previous dynasty or the system of the Great Zhou, they basically inherited and developed the system of the Great Qin, right?"
Yan Jiaoran nodded thoughtfully.
"In other words, after the Qin Dynasty, the mismatch between the superstructure and the economic base caused by advances in productivity, which ultimately led to the change of dynasties and the establishment of new systems, has not yet occurred, right?"
"The several changes in the Qin Dynasty so far weren't due to advances in productivity or changes in production relations, right?"
"Yes." Yan Jiaoran's eyes were very solemn: "Why is this? It's obviously not the time yet!"
Qin Yuan smiled slightly: "This is because they are all trapped in the dynasty cycle!"
ah?
When these words came out, Yan Jiaoran, who was lying next to him, was dumbfounded.
Dynastic Cycle, what the hell is this?
Why were all the dynasties after the Qin Dynasty unable to get rid of this problem?
Yan Jiaoran was puzzled and felt like her head was about to explode. She could only ask, "Dog...husband!"
"What exactly does this 'dynastic cycle' mean? You've mentioned it so many times."
Qin Yuan patted his wife's shoulder and said quietly:
"The general trend of the world is that long periods of division will inevitably lead to unification, and long periods of unification will inevitably lead to division."
"Ever since Qin Shi Huang unified China, throughout the long feudal monarchy, a mysterious force has dominated the rise and fall of dynasties and the alternation of order and chaos in society."
"This force is the dynastic cycle!"
Yan Jiaoran's almond-shaped eyes were wide open, looking puzzled.
ah?
Listen to your words, it's still a speech.
Why did she feel like Qin Yuan seemed to have said something, but also seemed to have said nothing? What the hell was going on?
So, what exactly is this dynastic cycle?
Yan Jiaoran was bewildered.
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