Prime Minister

Chapter 1316: I have a great scholar to argue for me

Chapter 1316: I have a great scholar to argue for me

The government of the Song Dynasty inherited the Tang Dynasty's system of officials' needs and the people's supply. It originally exploited the weaving households severely. For example, the government stipulated that only one-third of the silk produced by any weaving household could be sold, and the remaining two-thirds would be purchased by the government at a discount.

The so-called discounted purchase means purchasing at a price extremely lower than the market price.

By the first year of the Mingdao reign, the machine owners could no longer make a living and demanded that the court halve the number of machines purchased by the government. Upon hearing this, Emperor Renzong, who loved his people like his own children, decided to have one-third of the machines purchased by the government, with the remaining two-thirds sold by the machine owners themselves.

After the exemption law was implemented, the imperial court could no longer use coercive means to force textile operators to sell silk at low prices.

Therefore, the court changed its policy to provide silk and safflower, pay labor in advance, and hire weavers to sell silk.

Later, Zhang Yue abolished the court's practice of hiring craftsmen from the public to make silk and satin, and instead the court purchased some silk and cotton cloth from the exchange.

It is used in the dual-track system of market-oriented procurement and exclusive supply to the emperor to break the original system.

This move directly led to the explosive growth of the folk textile industry in Qinzhou, Suzhou and Hangzhou. In the fifth year of Yuanfeng, the Shibosi recorded that the annual silk production in Hangzhou increased from 40,000 to 120,000.

However, the price of rice in Jianghuai also rose from 700 wen per stone to 1,800 wen.

There are always pros and cons, which brings a series of problems.

The soaring food prices are an indisputable fact.

Why did the ancients emphasize agriculture and suppress commerce?

Because ancient commerce not only included land capital, but also secondary industries such as industry or handicrafts.

For example, when there was not enough food, brewing wine was prohibited, so there were often prohibitions on alcohol in the past.

This is what it means to respect the root and suppress the end.

It is said that food, clothing, housing and transportation are the most important things in life, but clothing cannot be ranked first. There is only one saying, "food is the first necessity of the people."

All of this is done to protect the primary industry.

Therefore, not only the old party, but also Cheng Yi and even some of Zhang Zai's disciples criticized Zhang Yue's move to convert fields into mulberry and cotton in Qinzhou and Hangzhou. For example, Zhang Zai also advocated the restoration of the well-field system, not to mention his disciples.

There were two factions of officials in the court. One faction believed that the development of the cotton and silk industries would hinder people's livelihood.

One group believes that the silk and cotton industries can bring a lot of income to the court, but the government is unwilling to do so. After all, the military expenses of the northwest and the three auxiliary armies in the capital are supported by salt, silk and cotton industries.

Zhang Yue came to Hangzhou this time to take a look at the actual situation.

By the way, I'm setting a trap for Tsai Que. If Tsai Que dares to use this to impeach me, he will be in big trouble.

At night, Zhang Yue said to Chen Guan, "I ordered He Guan to take charge of the work of reclaiming land in Huguang, so that the grain from the upper reaches can help the lower reaches, but this matter is too slow to help in an emergency."

"Now the court and the people are quite complicated about my move to open trade and benefit workers."

Chen Guan said: "Teacher, Mencius said, 'There is a lowly man who will seek to monopolize the market and rise to the top, so that he can look down on others and gain profits from the market.'"

Mencius used the behavior of merchants monopolizing market profits to illustrate the behavior of officials monopolizing official positions.

Monopoly is the breaking point of the ridge.

The original meaning is that merchants climb to a high place, look left and right, sell what is in short supply in the "market", and manipulate the market to make a profit.

The meaning of "monopoly" in later generations also came from this article. Mencius used the speculative behavior of businessmen to metaphorically describe the speculation of officials in the officialdom at that time.

Later Mencius added that the tax on merchants arose from this to degrade officials, and it was precisely because of the existence of such people in the "market" that heavy taxes were imposed on merchants.

The implication of Chen Guan's advice to Zhang Yue was that teacher, don't shoot yourself in the foot.

From the perspective of Mencius's "people-oriented" proposition, it is indeed detrimental to Zhang Yue's trade and labor.

Zhang Yue said: "Scholars have their own way of being scholars, officials have their own way of being officials, and merchants have their own way of being merchants. However, the court imposes constraints on them. It is necessary to reconcile profit with righteousness, not to suppress profit with righteousness."

Chen Guan said: "Teacher, you want to promote trade and benefit workers, but from ancient times to the present, except for Guanzi, there is no such thing in Confucianism. There is only the saying that gentlemen are concerned with righteousness, while villains are concerned with profit."

Zhang Yue thought, what's the big deal? If there is no theory, we can create one: "Confucianism does not look down on businessmen. Zigong is a businessman. How did Confucius treat Zigong? Confucianism is about clarifying virtue and governing interests with righteousness. How can it be said that this is not allowed and that is not allowed?"

"I heard that there is a Wang Jingshan (Wang Zuwang) in Yongjia, also known as Mr. Ruzhi, who teaches in Yongjia."

Chen Guan said: "There is indeed such a person. Mr. Ruzhi once said, 'Since Mencius, Taoism has not been clear. I want to explain the way of Yao and Shun, discuss the governance of civil and military affairs, stop the path of lewdness and evil, and open the door to the imperial power. I fear the heavens, how dare I stop?'"

"But he has passed away for many years. I heard that his knowledge was praised by Mr. Jing and Mr. Gu Ling, but he just didn't live long enough."

Zhang Yue asked: "Does he have any disciples?"

Chen Guan said: "There is indeed such a person. His surname is Lin and his name is Shi. He is known as Mr. Tangao in the world. He is a disciple of Baiyun Weng (Guan Shichang)."

Zhang Yue asked, "Are you a disciple of Mr. Wo Yun (Guan Shifu)?"

Chen Guan said: "That's right, teacher also knows these two people?"

Zhang Yue said, "Both the housekeepers were students of my master when he was the magistrate of Xianju County. I met them both when I was a student of Master Xin and Master Yu Guling."

Zhang Yue thought about his time as a student under Chen Xiang when he was young. It goes without saying that the eldest senior brother Sun Jue took great care of him. Although he did not meet the other senior brothers very often, they were also equally close to him.

The close friendship between fellow disciples in the school, like that between brothers and fathers, left a deep impression on the young Zhang Yue.

Chen Xiang had also praised Guan Shichang in front of him many times. Guan Shichang said that the two of them "stayed in their official residences behind closed doors, cut off from the world, wore poor clothes and ate coarse food, and were cold in the morning and hungry at night."

Later, the brothers Guan Shichang and Guan Shifu became disciples of Hu Yuan and both opposed Wang Anshi's new laws.

The second Guan also has a brother, Guan Shiren, who was a Jinshi in the sixth year of Xining and is now the Tongpan of Lizhou. He is also a famous official. In history, Guan Shiren served as prime minister during the reign of Emperor Huizong and told Emperor Huizong that his brother Guan Shifu was more talented than himself.

When Emperor Huizong of Song summoned him, Guan Shi again declined the offer.

When Guan Shifu learned that Guan Shiren had won the second place in the imperial examination, he continued to farm and grow vegetables as usual.

Lin Shi was a student of Guan Shichang. At that time, Wang Anshi despised the Spring and Autumn Annals and criticized it as a rotten court report. In order to pass the imperial examination, scholars gave up the Spring and Autumn Annals and studied the new interpretations of the Three Classics.

But Lin Shi and Master Guan Chang still insisted on using the Spring and Autumn Annals for teaching.

Zhang Yue knew that the school of thought of Wang Zuwang and Lin Shi would flourish in the Southern Song Dynasty and become a school of practical learning that was on par with Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind, also known as the Yongjia School.

Of course, the School of Practical Studies was still in its infancy at this time, but the Neo-Confucianism of the Cheng brothers was also in its infancy.

Confucianism has been weak since Mencius. Everyone is arguing about what it will become in the future. No one has a clear direction in their hearts. Everyone is just crossing the river by feeling the stones, taking one step at a time.

For example, the Yongjia School of Thought was initially derived from Neo-Confucianism, but after it took root in Zhejiang where commerce was developed, it naturally evolved from Neo-Confucianism into "promoting commerce and benefiting workers, pursuing both righteousness and profit, and taking industry and commerce as the foundation."

The orthodox Neo-Confucianism was passed down from Guanluo to Zhu Xi, who later inherited it and called it Fujian School.

There cannot be only one voice in the court. In order to replace Wang Anshi's new learning, Zhang Yue supported Neo-Confucianism in the Imperial College. But he could not let Neo-Confucianism dominate alone, otherwise it would backfire on him. He had to introduce the Yongjia School to check and balance Neo-Confucianism.

With Zhang Yue's current status, he could shoot arrows at will, and officials and scholars would automatically come forward to draw targets wherever his arrows landed, and every arrow would hit the ten rings.

Not to mention being targeted.

You don't have to look for theories yourself, someone will hand you a book and tell you which page it is. The so-called policy comes first, theory comes later, and this is how the legitimacy of scholars' interpretation comes from.

If you are strong, there will be great scholars who will debate for you.

Zhang Yue said: "I have always advocated that the four classes of people, namely scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, should have different occupations but the same path. They can meet."

Chen Guan was surprised. The statement that the four classes of people have different occupations but the same path is really bold. However, Chen Guan did not know that Zhang Yue copied this statement from Wang Yangming.

Although Chen Guan didn't know what Zhang Yue was planning, he thought that his teacher must have a deep meaning behind his actions, so he said, "I will arrange it right away."

"Send the invitation in the name of fellow students, not in the name of official positions." Zhang Yue tapped the table with his fingertips and suddenly laughed. He thought to himself that it was not good enough for him to use his fellow students as a network to build the academic pedigree of the Yongjia School.

The evolution of Confucianism could not escape the influence of the government.

“The students know.”

……

"The house is full of white clouds that cannot be plowed, and the pool of bright moon leaves no trace when fished! This poem by Mr. Wo Yun is really a good poem."

In the teahouse next to the Imperial College, Zhang Cheng praised sincerely.

A student at the side said with a smile: "As expected, Liangbi likes it. Mr. Woyun is indifferent to fame and wealth. This poem was written when Renmiao granted him an audience. At that time, Renmiao asked Mr. Woyun, "Mr. Woyun never leaves his house, how did you learn so much?"

"Mr. Woyun said, 'A house full of white clouds cannot be broken by plowing, and a pool of bright moon leaves no trace when fishing.' This is what I have learned."

"So that's how it is. I am very envious of you for being able to become Mr. Wo Yun's disciple, Brother Zhou." Zhang Chengyan said.

The other party smiled and said, "I am not a disciple of Mr. Wo Yun, but a disciple of Mr. Tang Ao (Lin Shi). Mr. Tang Ao once studied under Mr. Bai Yun, the younger brother of Mr. Wo Yun. Mr. Wo Yun and Mr. Bai Yun are very famous in Yongjia. They were both recommended to the court by Mr. Gu Ling."

"This brother Ding and Mr. Tangao were both taught by Mr. Ruzhi."

Zhang Cheng knew that Zhang Yue’s teacher was none other than Mr. Gu Ling Chen Xiang.

The two people in front of him were clearly named Zhou Xingyi and Ding Changqi, both from Yongjia. They were disciples or fellow students of Lin Shi and Erguan.

Zhang Cheng did not have many friends in the Imperial College, but after he was promoted to Zhongshe, he got along well with his classmates Zhou Xingyi and Ding Changqi, and they became close friends right away.

Zhou Xingyi said: "I advocate Guanzi's currency circulation and accumulation of wealth. I do not agree with the current criticism of Zhejiang's conversion of farmland to mulberry trees in the Imperial College. It is putting the cart before the horse and will inevitably bring disaster to the millet."

Ding Changqi said: "The lack of a land system in this dynasty has led to the annexation of private land. After the collapse of the rent and labor service system in the Tang Dynasty, taxes on industry and commerce have long become the mainstay."

"After Prime Minister Zhang's reforms over the years, more than 100 million Jiaozi and salt notes are circulated each year. If we stop saying that money, grain, military and punishment are all the ways of the saints, and continue to advocate the Confucian debate of righteousness and profit, the court will have to go back to the old path."

Zhang Cheng sighed sincerely after hearing these two people's words. His father would surely appreciate them. His father once said that the court's tax base was forced to shift to industry and commerce, but now ideology lags behind the economy, and a new way out must be found.

The three of them were chatting in a teahouse near the Imperial College, which was quite eye-catching.

Suddenly, a man came up to the building and said to the three men, "I really enjoyed your conversation, three gentlemen. A distinguished person wants to make your acquaintance!"

(End of this chapter)