Wild ideas
"The lotus leaves stretch to the sky, their green is boundless; the lotus blossoms, reflecting the sun, are a distinct red. Is that what it means?" Yinreng intoned softly. Changchun Garden had water, trees, and, as he described, lotus flowers. A man in a state of self-cultivation naturally needs to relax. His son on his left, his wife on his right, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs behind him carrying all sorts of household items—what a joke.
The family of three strolled through Changchun Garden, feeling quite relaxed and at ease. Looking at their current situation, one could not imagine that the country's new policies were being implemented amidst numerous obstacles.
Yinreng's condition improved, and he even summoned the kings and ministers to Changchun Garden. Although the time was short and he looked a lot thinner, he was indeed getting better.
The kings and ministers sincerely wanted to repay the gods! Finally, they didn't have to deal with that woman anymore! Speaking of which, the queen didn't do anything to them, but unfortunately, after she finished throwing a series of punches and scolding people, she was already on the list of people best not to mess with.
This was a terrible woman. She had four sons who had already started their own families and were assigned to different departments. One of them was even the crown prince. Once Hongdan was arranged to marry, he was assigned to the Ministry of Works. She also had brothers, nephews, and in-laws from her natal family, which was enough to ensure that her source of information was rich and reliable.
If you ask her about the details, she'll say, "You have to ask me about this? The people working under me are idiots. They take the money and don't do the work. Do they think I'm stupid?" If you deliberately try to keep something from her, she'll just ramble on and on, somehow ending up with this (her skill in rambling is at its peak), implying, "You can't hide it from me."
This left the group in a state of limbo, unable to live or die, forced to honestly find ways to work. This wasn't a truly ignorant harem woman; she might lack common sense, but she certainly didn't lack foresight. From time to time, she'd have a flash of inspiration, coming up with incredible ideas. A man who had been in the court for so long was made look like a mediocre person by a woman. Decades of humiliation were utterly humiliating!
Everyone hopes that this mountain will continue to stay where it belongs.
They were being too optimistic. After all, the woman was the emperor's wife and the crown prince's mother. They still had to meet her before the emperor fully recovered. And while Yinreng felt his wife was, uh, a bit awkward in politics, he wasn't completely clueless. Shujia also had a good sense of proportion, stepping in when necessary and letting go when necessary.
He still worried about state affairs, but he no longer had to fret as much as before. He slowly recuperated, and his health gradually improved. However, the season was wrong, midsummer was hot, and even healthy people could get sick from the heat. His recovery was not fast, and he did not dare to overwork himself.
"Well, in a few days, when the weather isn't so hot anymore and you're safer, we can go for a boat ride. That would be fun."
Hongdan listened to his parents' conversation, feeling both amused and embarrassed. His nervousness over the numerous problems of the new policy finally relaxed. He smiled and said, "That's right, in a little while, the lotus seeds should be ripe and ready to eat."
Shujia twitched her lips: "How did you become a foodie?" On normal days, Hongdan would not say such a thing, as he was a man of modest character and kept his composure very high!
Hongdan blushed: "Food is the most important thing for the people."
Yinreng withdrew his gaze and asked casually, "How was the rain this year? Have there been any disasters anywhere?"
Shujia sighed inwardly, even recovering from an illness is not peaceful! Such a big country, which year does not have a few places affected by disasters? Hongdan recounted them one by one: "Although this year is not over yet, it is more than half over. I have a rough idea of what the situation is. It is probably these few places, not very serious. I just regret that the new policy has not been fully implemented. According to the land tax, the taxes that the poor have to pay have become less. If it could have been implemented a few years earlier, they would have had more surplus food and money on hand, and they could have withstood the famine."
"Let's exempt these places from taxes this year." Yinreng used a universal magic weapon.
“Yeah.”
Shujia then said, "After walking for such a while, you may not be tired, but I am. Let's rest in the pavilion ahead."
Hongdan looked at Yinreng's forehead, which was already sweaty, and said with a smile, "Are you tired, mother? It's your son's fault for being careless. You deserve a beating."
The whole family sat in the pavilion, and the palace maids and eunuchs who followed them placed towels, fruits, and snacks, and some were fanning them and fetching water, and they were busy having a great time.
Yinreng became talkative and began to discuss state affairs. Even after being ill for so long and having been away for months, he still couldn't help but ask about them.
Shujia pierced a piece of fruit with a toothpick and slowly chewed it, listening to the conversation between father and son. Most of the time, it was Hongdan who did the talking, while Yinreng listened, occasionally commenting on someone's personality, their abilities, their weaknesses, their suitability for certain tasks, how this was done well, and how that would be even better if it were done this way. If he came across something important, he would ask a question.
Hongdan has reported that, except for the Bordered Yellow Banner, elementary schools for the other seven banners in Beijing have already been established. However, the results are promising: "Each school has already enrolled between two and three hundred students. They need ten to twenty teachers, and if each teacher serves twenty days a year, they can teach over a hundred students on a rotating basis. This can accommodate not only Shuntian Prefecture but also most of the gentry in Zhili."
Yinreng asked, "Apart from the capital, where else are the Eight Banners stationed? How many people are there in each place? How many of them have families with them?"
Hongdan counted on his fingers, "Not to mention Shengjing, there are also Hangzhou, Xi'an, Guangzhou... Some of them came with their families, and some didn't..."
Yinreng leaned back in his chair and relaxed. "How many people are there in the Eight Banners? And how many of them can go to elementary school?"
This wasn't a problem for Hongdan. After he finished reporting the numbers, his face grew serious. Elementary school wasn't the compulsory education of later generations, requiring nine or twelve years. Three or five years would have been fine. While the population of the Eight Banners was growing, it was still small. Furthermore, only boys were currently enrolled, and the number of school-age children would have been halved.
Places like the capital and Guangzhou, where bannermen and their families live together, can afford to take on so many scholars serving in the military. What about other remote areas? They simply can't take on that many.
"Son, I've thought about this," he paused, "but it's just asking them to serve. Teaching is also serving, and doing other things is also serving, right?"
"What else can they do?" Yinreng asked bluntly. "Besides slandering the government, joking about the wind and the moon, and spreading rumors, what else can they do? Those who are truly capable have either been replaced or specially recruited." Those who remain, as the saying goes, are useless scholars. Even among those who have entered the court, there are some incompetent ones.
On ordinary days, Yinreng was quite pleasing to the eye. If he really wanted to think of something they could do that would benefit the country and the people, it would make him go bald!
Hongdan wiped his sweat off his forehead and glanced at Shujia. Shujia was also stunned. She had indeed oversimplified things. The only solution she could think of for these scholars was to have them teach. As for becoming an official, firstly, there were only so many official positions, and it was impossible to expand them blindly. Secondly, many officials who passed the imperial examinations had limited abilities. Many were truly good at romance, but couldn't even do math.
"What do you think?" Yinreng asked Shujia.
Shujia pondered for a moment, then said slowly, "Can the national treasury be filled with enough money if these new policies are implemented?"
"Of course." Both father and son were very confident.
Shujia whispered: "Or——"
"Huh?"
Shujia still expressed her idea of compulsory education, which is to enlighten the people. If everyone is enlightened, many things will be easier to handle.
"What a wild idea!" Yinreng commented bluntly, "How much money would that cost? Even if I were willing, do you think ordinary families could send their children to school? They really don't understand the suffering of the world. Even if they were willing, how many people could afford to buy pens, ink, and books?"
He hadn't considered subsidizing the Eight Banners to such an extent. Even subsidizing them would require careful consideration, let alone widespread adoption. He'd saved money so desperately, not to spend it on others. What was wrong with ordinary people learning a few words? To put it bluntly, he was still wary of the common people.
The policy of keeping the people ignorant is actually a very good one. Without external forces, with its help, the country's social structure is quite stable. However, he was too embarrassed to express such a little thought. Seeing that his son seemed to understand, he couldn't help but sigh. His wife was politically sensitive. After all, she was a woman, soft-hearted, only thinking about everyone's good, and not paying attention to the situation!
When Hongdan heard his father's criticism of his mother's views, he became a little restless. Partly to help his mother out, he explained, "Let's not even talk about how many families are willing to send their children to elementary schools, let alone where the money for so many elementary schools will come from. Once they graduate, what will they do? It's easy in the Eight Banners; they always have enough to make a living. But among the common people, there are only so many places for scholars, juren, and jinshi every year. Without any official titles, the state doesn't need to care about them, and it can't. Once they learn to read, how many of them will be willing to work hard in the fields? By then, they'll become dissatisfied after learning a few words, and who knows what kind of trouble they'll cause."
In a word, the problem of the way out!
Shujia chose the right opening, but expanding it proved difficult. This was because she overlooked the demographic challenges facing her own ethnic group and the employment issues that would arise from the expansion. After years of education, a significant investment of time, money, and energy, without a viable future, they could easily become a source of social instability.
This was a fruitless discussion. Neither Yinreng nor Hongdan cared. They felt that the current situation was good enough. As for the extra people without respectable jobs, Yinreng had already made a plan, inspired by Shujia's suggestion. Since they were unwilling to do the hard labor, there were still suitable writing jobs for them to do. If that didn't work out, he could offer them minor official positions in remote areas for free.
Yinreng also comforted Shujia: "You have done a good job, but you are not very familiar with the details of the work."
Shujia: "..." She thought she knew more about the sufferings of the world than they did!
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Yinreng walked out for a while, felt a little tired, and walked back slowly to rest.
Shujia arrived at her residence. In her study, she felt a little suffocated. It was terrible to be caught in the middle and bullied by both sides! She actually had a solution for Yinreng's problem. Staring at the globe in the study, Shujia slowly turned it. Her well-maintained finger stretched out and pointed to a place: America.
Hong Dan had much more work to do than his mother. He first inquired about the implementation of the new policy and learned that it was not smooth sailing and there were conflicts. However, because the governors and governors-general selected before were quite capable, the policy was able to be implemented. Moreover, as time went by, the plan was already done.
Hongdan then reviewed the report from the Imperial Household Department, which detailed preparations for Hongzao's wedding. The room had been assigned to the Ganxi Tousuo and was being renovated. The bride's formal attire, carriage, and other items were also being assembled. While everyone remained silent, they were working furiously, hoping to have the emperor witness his son's wedding as soon as possible. The Imperial Astronomical Observatory also joined in the fun, announcing the auspicious date predicted by divination.
The rest were minor matters, including a letter from Guangzhou, which was sent by Orondai. Old Orondai's life was pretty good. Leaving the capital, the pressure on him was much less. He also got together with the local bully leader Nian Gengyao and lived a pretty comfortable life.
When a rogue meets a bully, the bully always prevails. Hongdan inexplicably thought of this. Nian Gengyao's methods were indeed a hundred times more ruthless than those of Orondai, who was always just fighting. Orondai's finances became more comfortable, and the tributes he sent to the Eastern Palace became increasingly generous. The tone of his letters became increasingly cordial.
Hong Dan read what he wrote and fell into deep thought. Unilaterally suspending trade with the Netherlands didn't stop smuggling, and instead wasted tax revenue. Should he take some action to lift the ban?
After putting the letter away, Hongdan stood up and straightened his clothes. Thinking of what happened not long ago, he went to talk to Shujia and comfort his mother.
"You're here? Are you done with your work?"
"Yes, my son just looked at me again when he passed by. He read for a while and then fell asleep again."
"Hmm."
Hongdan said slowly: "Seeing that father was asleep, I didn't dare to disturb him. There are some things that I will tell him later when he wakes up." Then he started talking about state affairs.
Shujia seemed a little absent-minded when listening. Hongdan sighed secretly, "Crossing the river by feeling the stones is not easy. Not all ideas are feasible, or they may be feasible here but not there..." He tried to comfort Shujia by talking about today's work.
Shujia laughed: "You think I'm in a bad mood, is it because of this?"
"Huh?"
"Change is necessary now. Not only in the tax law, but also in these... people!"
"They're a bunch of nerds. Now that we've got their pulse, we have plenty of ways to deal with them."
Shujia shook her head and said, "This isn't just a nerd's thing. I just want to find a way out."
"During prosperous times, the population will increase, but taxes will never be increased. This means that in the future, if you want to have an extra child, you just need to add a spoonful of water when cooking. Do you think they will have more children? By then, how many people will there be in the world? In prosperous times, people have always talked about the number of people and households, but they don't realize that giving birth to a child is easy, but raising one is difficult! When a child is young, you only need to add a spoonful of water, but what about when he grows up? What will you do? You need to marry a wife, have children, and have a house to live in. Where will all these come from? The extra children will gradually become redundant.
"Also, with the tax rate being based on the amount of land, a family with ten acres of land, having two sons, gets five acres each, and can still get by. But if they have two more, they'll be half-starved! If this continues for two generations, even a well-off family will be reduced to poverty. How much wasteland is left in the world that can be turned into fertile fields? Even if it is, it won't be enough for long. And then there's the issue of annexation. If the people become beggars, I'm afraid we'll have another Li Chuang!"
Hongdan's expression suddenly changed. Thinking about it, she did have a point. Of course, she still vaguely remembered some of her history textbooks, and combined with what she had witnessed, her words were certainly not alarmist. Chinese people have always valued having many children, and there was no concept of family planning at the time. Our country is vast and rich in resources; where can we not support a population? The rulers also wanted a larger population, as many people would work and pay taxes as possible.
Hong Dan even forced a smile and said, "Mother, you're being a bit alarmist. It may not come to that."
Shujia smiled bitterly. Historically, Yongzheng's reforms had only given the dynasty and China's feudal society a brief respite. After this resurgence, the country languished in its ambitions and indulged in decadent indulgences. Soon, the population swelled and the nation's strength declined.
Shujia estimated that the current New Deal, due to objective conditions and Prince Yong's considerable contributions, was likely to be similar to previous New Deals. If she didn't continue to find a way out, she would still be dead. When that time came, she could already foresee that the White Lotus Sect, whose goal since its inception had been to overthrow the current government, would reappear like a ghost!
She didn't envision a long line of descendants, but she also didn't want them to be enslaved by violent revolution. The worst was beheading, like Louis XVI; the best was imprisonment, like Puyi, for war criminals. She preferred to decentralize power, find a middle ground, or perhaps, like the Meiji Restoration, establish a constitutional monarchy. At the very least, as long as her descendants weren't so rigid and everyone lived in a republic, living as ordinary people wouldn't be bad either.
But faced with the behemoth that was the empire, she had no idea where to begin. She knew her own shortcomings, her gender a natural disadvantage, and that she could only pry open a gap by influencing her husband and son. Fortunately, her husband and son were the emperor and crown prince. She had no choice but to fight.
She didn't dare to tell Yinreng these things, so she could only tell her son. At least, even if Hongdan thought what she said was too sensational, it wouldn't have a negative impact on her.
Her expression was terrifying. "I'm talking about the gentry. Even if we confiscate their entire property, can we feed the extra population? We can't force people to have children. That would be rebellion! This is your business."
Finally, he said firmly, "Overpopulation!" This problem isn't a major one now, but it will be a major issue when Hongdan's generation takes the helm. Can we feed the people by growing sweet potatoes and corn? Later generations, despite population explosions, were still able to provide for most people, thanks to technological advancements. But relying on this is impossible now; the only option is expansion.
Her knowledge of political economy was superficial, and she only remembered the basics. Nowadays, a nation cannot be strong solely through agriculture. Agriculture's added value is minimal. Economic development requires the development of industry and commerce. But she had no idea how to develop this, or what kind of plans to formulate. She could only adapt others' plans. However, at least industry and commerce could solve the problem of surplus labor.
Hongdan was stunned. He had already realized the first half of it. The population problem might not have been a big problem during his father's reign, but when it came to him in twenty or thirty years, it would be a huge problem. He looked at the year-end summary. This year alone, the population of the people raised under the Never Increase Taxation Program had already reached 200,000! 200,000 this year, 200,000 next year, and another 200,000 the year after...
Hongdan's mind replayed the past in an endless loop, his face pale. He had always believed that a large population was a sign of prosperity; the more the better, and he didn't want a small population, as that would indicate a bad world. But then he thought about where these people would find suitable farmland to feed themselves, and he became very uneasy.
The second half was truly incredible! To the people of the time, China was the best place in the world, rich in resources, while other places were barbaric and unsuitable for human habitation. Expansion? But only if the place was valuable. Hongdan also wanted to achieve great things, but looking at his own wallet, he resisted the urge—we don't do business at a loss.
Hearing about the development of industry and commerce, he was furious! "Agriculture is the foundation of a nation..." He began to recite many famous historical passages to prove that the existence of commerce would make farmers restless, reduce food production, and thus undermine the foundation of the nation.
Shujia wanted to vomit blood! "Can you think of another way to accommodate so many people? Kill them? Eat them?"
Hongdan thought the task at hand was already difficult enough. Although he had gradually gotten into the state, he didn't want to be hit again. He stammered, "Have you told Khan Ama about this?"
"I can only tell you that you can start thinking about what to do next from now on."
Hongdan was silent.
Shujia remained silent. Zhang Cheng had been sent by Louis XIV, a proponent of mercantilism himself. The transformation of Europe had already begun. The Dutch had already colonized Asia, and the New World had been discovered. Countless gold and silver were being shipped to Europe, fueling its development. If they didn't act now, it would be too late. Shujia desperately wanted to urge everyone to pursue their own expansion into the Americas.
What she said about compulsory education was a foreshadowing based on her persuading Yinreng and Hongdan.
Scarcity makes things valuable. If there are too many people reading, they will become worthless.
It was also a civil service exam, but it wasn't structured like the current one. The provincial and metropolitan examinations were replaced with the middle school and college entrance exams. Passing the exams only meant you were academically proficient and had a degree. But passing didn't necessarily guarantee you a job. Those who wanted to become officials had to take a separate exam. If a department needed someone, they would draw up a quota and everyone would apply. Requirements might include academic qualifications, grassroots work experience, and political affiliation.
Fame and honor become just diplomas.
Of course, the basis for the implementation of this plan must be the popularization of education.
What should we do with all those extra educated and knowledgeable people? Whether they're engaged in business or industry, they have a good knowledge base. The surplus labor force must find a way out, and educated people are more productive.
The development of European capitalism was not due to primitive accumulation and market expansion. Shujia could only think of Europe as an example. Thankfully, she had memorized this passage in textbooks arduously for the Gaokao and still remembered it.
With the improvement of the Chinese people's quality, coupled with the gold and silver from the Americas, there is hope for development. However, the market problem still needs to be solved. This is the most important link. She can't find a suitable market, and even if she does find one, she doesn't know how to convince everyone.
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While the mother and son were sitting in silence, someone in the distance was getting angry and rolling up his sleeves.
Nian Gengyao's scholarly side always existed. He believed that those who were not of my race must have different hearts, that the Celestial Empire was ours and we looked down on others, and that those who provoke me must be killed! It was so ingrained in his blood that he could say it without needing to be reminded.
The Governor-General thrived in Guangdong and Guangxi, and his forceful implementation of the New Deal had yielded positive results, earning him recognition and praise from his superiors. His own purse was also considerably fatter; compared to the fire consumption tax, smuggling was clearly less dangerous and less likely to lead to impeachment.
Life was going well. He could probably stay in the Governor-Generalship of Guangdong and Guangxi for a few more years, wait for the new policies to stabilize, and then be transferred to a better place to try his luck. If he performed well, he might even be promoted to the Governor-Generalship of Zhili, the highest position in the country. He now held a central government title, albeit a nominal one. If he performed well as the Governor-General of Zhili, he could easily become a Grand Secretary, just like Li Guangdi. And he was much younger than Li Guangdi was back then!
His life was going too smoothly, and any little bit of dissatisfaction was like a single black sesame seed on a pancake, particularly eye-catching. When he heard that the Dutch had "abducted" people from his territory, he was extremely angry!
Unlike Shujia's closed-door fantasies, her unsuccessful efforts to develop America brought Nanyang into the sights of officials of this dynasty. Although Governor Nian still managed to suppress his bullying tendencies with a touch of civility, it would soon be over.
The author has something to say: Ahh ...
Now I reach the difficult part...
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