"I observe that among the four classes of people, apart from scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, farmers are the most valuable! All scholars, artisans, artisans, and merchants rely on farmers for food, so agriculture is the fundamental task of the world, and everything else is secondary. I plan to vigorously develop agriculture so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment, and have no worries about food and clothing..." The Fourth Prince spoke with emotion, summarizing the world he envisioned for Lanqin.
Lanqin suddenly recalled the history she had learned in her later life: the Yongzheng Dynasty had begun to prosper. However, it seemed that the Fourth Prince had only ever focused on agriculture and had no intention of developing commerce. She pondered whether she should remind him…
"My lord, you can definitely do it! I believe in you..."
Encouraged by Lanqin's words, Fourth Master was filled with confidence and laughed heartily: "Yes, as long as the people have enough to eat, they will feel at ease, and only with peace of mind can the people live in stability..."
Lanqin raised her head: "Your Majesty, I believe that Your Majesty should value both agriculture and commerce..."
Fourth Master paused, then asked with a smile, "What? Qin'er, what's your opinion?"
Lanqin said, "I believe that with the merchants, the people can become more active."
The Fourth Prince nodded, and Lanqin continued, "In my humble opinion, Your Majesty's emphasis on agriculture is simply because you want the people to live in peace and prosperity, and for the Qing Dynasty to be peaceful and stable. However, if the Qing Dynasty is to become strong and prosperous, it must also value commerce..."
The Fourth Prince pondered: "The development of commerce will inevitably lead to the flow of goods and people, which is really detrimental to governance! Agriculture is the foundation of the nation..."
Lanqin knew that the Fourth Prince couldn't immediately grasp the benefits of commerce, so she thought for a moment and continued to persuade him: "Your Highness, although commerce facilitates the flow of people and goods, it also has its advantages. It not only brings better technology and goods to more people, but it also promotes economic development. The world is vast, and there are many other countries besides the Qing Dynasty... Only commerce can enable all countries to communicate..."
"comminicate?"
"When the late emperor was on the throne, he specifically established customs in Guangzhou, Zhanzhou, Ningbo and other places to allow foreign merchant ships to come and trade. The purpose was to have a global perspective. Only with economic development can the country prosper, and only with a prosperous country can it stand firm in the world..." Lanqin's eyes gleamed, as if she were foreseeing the future of the Qing Dynasty.
The Fourth Prince was moved by Lanqin's words and pondered them in his heart: "Are you saying that I should encourage commerce in addition to developing agriculture?"
Lanqin nodded excitedly: "Master, we have excellent porcelain, silk, salt, timber, and tea. Every single one of these items is worth taking out and showcasing to the entire Qing Dynasty and even the world. Doesn't Master wish to see Beijing become the national trade center? Merchants from all over the country will come to Beijing for trade exchanges, and fine goods from all over the world will continuously flow into Beijing. That's when Beijing will truly be bustling..."
Fourth Master was amazed by Lanqin's ideas and felt that Lanqin was an inexhaustible treasure trove. He decided to go back and reconsider Lanqin's suggestions.
Fourth Master hugged the still-chattering Lanqin, who looked up curiously, startled. Fourth Master smiled: "My Qin'er is truly a genius!"
"My lord, will you consider my suggestion?" Lanqin was still worried.
The Fourth Prince nodded: "Yes, I will consider it carefully!"
Lanqin wanted to say more, but the Fourth Prince held her in his arms: "Don't move... let me hold you for a while..."
Lanqin remained obediently still, standing on the city wall with the Fourth Prince, admiring the night view of the Forbidden City together...
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