Zhao Jun said, "Yes, the emergence of Champa rice led to a rapid increase in the population of the Song Dynasty. Productivity increased significantly, and the pie became bigger. Although a large number of landless farmers emerged, the increase in the total amount of social wealth gave these landless farmers more opportunities. For example, they could go to the city to work in handicraft manufacturing, service industries, metal smelting, construction, etc., so as not to starve to death."
"Furthermore, the development of these industries boosted surplus grain production, promoted economic development, and increased employment. It can be said that God was blessing the Song Dynasty. Without this agricultural revolution, the Fang La uprising would have essentially ended the Song Dynasty."
"Furthermore, starting in the Han and Tang dynasties, China had already opened up access to the West. By the Song Dynasty, merchants from Central Asia and even Europe had already appeared in cities like Guangzhou, Quanzhou, and Bianliang. Through foreign trade, they exported silk, porcelain, tea, ironware, lacquerware, paper, and other products, making a fortune."
"Historical records show that during the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Rushi, who served as the director of the Quanzhou Maritime Customs, wrote in his "Zhufanzhi" that Quanzhou Port's overseas trade extended from the Philippines in the east to Dong'an in Africa in the west, and to Japan and Korea in the north, encompassing 58 countries and regions in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its annual import and export volume reached over 100 million guan (approximately 100 million guan), demonstrating the city's prosperity, with merchants flocking to it."
"And this is just the Quanzhou Maritime Customs Office. Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Mingzhou, and Mizhou all have Maritime Customs Offices. Every year, the import and export trade between the Song Dynasty and other countries exceeds 300 to 400 million guan. The small Southern Song Dynasty was able to survive on this half of the country, with taxes no less than those of the Northern Song Dynasty, all thanks to these trading ports and the commercial taxes that accounted for as much as 80% of the total fiscal revenue."
"Thus, through the influence on production relations, through the improvement of productivity and total wealth, coupled with appropriate policy measures, the Zhao family was able to barely maintain its position as king. Furthermore, by the Song Dynasty, the power of the aristocratic families had become very small, resulting in a pattern of 'nobles but no aristocracy', thus ensuring the stability of the Zhao Song Dynasty."
"But speaking of family power."
Zhao Jun paused, then smiled and said, "From an objective perspective, the Zhao family still has someone to thank."
"Thank someone? Who?"
Zhao Zhen wondered why he didn't know who the Zhao family should thank?
"Huang Chao!"
"Huang Chao?"
"Yes."
Zhao Jun said, "The Huang Chao Uprising swept across the Tang Dynasty, decimating the aristocratic families. Coupled with the establishment of the imperial examination system, it allowed the common people to rise up. These two were the main objective conditions. Without these two factors, it would have been difficult to achieve the situation in the Song Dynasty where there were nobles but no aristocracy."
"The subjective condition was that Zhao Kuangyin adopted a political system of three ministries and two departments, which greatly strengthened central power. Furthermore, although most officials entered the government through family connections, to become a top-level official one had to pass the imperial examination."
"Even those from a prominent family like Lü Yijian had to pass the imperial examination to become prime minister, let alone others. This made it extremely difficult for officials with family connections to rise to power. Unable to rise to the top and profit for their families, over time, the once aristocratic families naturally became no different from ordinary local landlords."
"So the Song Dynasty didn't see large-scale uprisings from the lower classes, nor did it see the aristocratic families replace the imperial power. This was because the increase in productivity allowed children from poor families to have enough food to eat, and the imperial examination system provided a path for upward mobility, which reduced large-scale uprisings from the lower classes."
"The combined effects of the Huang Chao uprising and the imperial examination system severely weakened the power of the aristocratic elite. As a result, the aristocratic families had no capital to rebel, and the common people had no ground for rebellion, and the political system became very stable."
"Even with serious land annexation, the Two Tax Law and a sound commercial tax system allowed the Song Dynasty to have sufficient fiscal revenue to maintain the stability of the army through spending."
"The combination of increased productivity, tax security, and the weakening of the power of aristocratic families built the foundation for the rule of the Song Dynasty monarchs."
"It can be said that if there had not been foreign enemies like the Liao, Western Xia, Jin, and Mongolia, the Song Dynasty would have been the most stable dynasty in history. However, it can also be said that it was precisely because the Song Dynasty over-strengthened its internal management and took excessive precautions against military commanders, common people, literati, and powerful families that it lacked sufficient martial virtue, which gave foreign enemies the opportunity to exploit."
"You can't have your cake and eat it too. Under the feudal social system, the Song Dynasty's rule had basically reached its peak, but that was all. No matter how hard it defended itself internally, it was only self-castration. Once external forces struck, it would be as fragile as an egg."
"Ultimately, the Song Dynasty emperors were too foolish, sitting on the wrong side of the throne and not standing on the side of the people. Mencius had long ago said, 'The emperor is of secondary importance, the country is second, and the people are of primary importance.' Those brainless emperors of the Song Dynasty didn't consider that without the emperor, the landlord class and the scholar-official class would simply replace the dynasty and continue to wield power. Without the emperor, the dynasty would collapse. What business did they have?"
By the end of his speech, Zhao Jun's throat was dry again, so he drank some water to moisten it. Although he didn't particularly like Song Dynasty history, ancient Chinese history was a serious subject that studied the political systems of various dynasties and major national events.
By learning from history and conducting in-depth research, he was able to find solutions to problems and understand the reasons for the rise and fall of dynasties. Therefore, he was able to explore these profound issues more clearly.
And this knowledge is exactly what the rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty need.
What the ancients lacked was not wisdom, but insight and cognition.
Even many profound things were understood by the ancients.
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