Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Obviously, Zhuo Jing has vaguely grasped the essence of classical political economics.

Facing Zhuo Jing's questions, Jiang Xinghuo answered them one by one in a leisurely manner.

"Compared with agricultural countries, industrial countries have one and a half more classes."

One and a half?

The three of them became curious. After all, Zheng He and Zhuo Jing had not read "Philosophical Correspondence: Alienation, New Nobles and the Psychoanalysis of All Classes in the Future Society of the Ming Dynasty". Zhu Gaoxu also rushed to the cabinet scene when he was about to finish reading the letter from the Six Ministers. The content of the letter is unknown.

Jiang Xinghuo continued: "The reason why the contradiction between man and land can be solved by turning an agricultural country into an industrial country is because the productivity of industrial countries, or the ability to create national wealth, and the production of surplus agricultural products in agricultural countries are completely different concepts."

"As for this conceptual difference, we still have to use the 'class analysis method' mentioned before when analyzing the productivity of agricultural countries to explain it."

——————

"Your Majesty, under the guise of banishing an immortal, this person is trying to subvert the country. Please kill him!"

In the secret room, Huang Fu suddenly changed color.

Zheng Ci hesitated for a moment and said to the emperor tactfully: "I think that if this statement that 'the essence of poverty is class exploitation' spreads and becomes widely known to the world, I am afraid it will cause turmoil in the country. After all, it is really... Some of them hit the nail on the head, and even after thinking about it for a long time, I couldn't find any rebuttal from the perspective of the so-called distribution of surplus agricultural products."

"This is equivalent to providing a basis for the common people to rebel. Your Majesty, please think twice." Huang Fu stood up from his seat and saluted directly.

Zhu Di's face didn't look good at this time.

But after pondering for a long time, he finally shook his head slowly and said in a calm tone: "I understand Aiqing's worries, but let's put this matter aside for now."

Hearing this, the two ministers were stunned at the same time, and immediately lowered their eyes.

Zheng Ci sneered in his heart, opened his mouth, but swallowed the words that came to his mouth back into his stomach.

Because he suddenly discovered that His Majesty the Emperor at this moment seemed to be more tolerant than he thought.

If anyone else had said such heart-wrenching words that would shake the country, I am afraid that even the family tree would not be enough for Zhu Di to tear apart.

"That's all. Since your majesty will not pursue the case, then let this person be spared for the time being. However, your majesty must not forget what I just said. This person's words are really likely to subvert the country and should not be underestimated." After a long time, Huang Fu sighed. , surrendered again.

When Zheng Ci heard this, he was slightly startled, and then his eyes flickered, and he glanced at the emperor vaguely.

He didn't expect that what he was going to say just now was actually said by Huang Fu.

"I know it well." Zhu Di glanced at Huang Fu indifferently.

Immediately, he stood up, walked towards the wall, and looked at the weak-looking amplification wall.

Zhu Di looked for a few breaths, as if looking through the wall to see another world on the other side of the wall.

If Jiang Xinghuo can come up with a solution to the contradiction between man and earth, then Zhu Di can forget about all his outrageous words.

After all, the contradiction between man and earth is the core of the dynastic periodic law, and if the contradiction between man and earth can really be solved, the Ming Empire may really become a great existence that breaks the dynastic periodic law. This will also establish Zhu Di's position in the history books. Important achievements.

The sun and the moon are bright, for thousands of generations!

——————

"We just said that there are three main social classes in agricultural countries, the agricultural class, the landlord class, and the craftsman class."

"Compared with agricultural countries, industrial countries have one and a half more classes, which refers to the manual factory owner class and the changed manual class."

Jiang Xinghuo briefly explained to them the contents of "Philosophical Correspondence: Alienation, New Nobility and Psychoanalysis of All Classes in Ming Dynasty's Future Society".

After the three of them listened, they took a moment to digest.

"Little friend Jiang, wait a moment, I have something unclear."

"Old Master Zhuo, please tell me." Jiang Xinghuo said.

Zhuo Jing was the first to ask: "You said that manual workshops can absorb the population. I believe it. Regarding the emergence of the owner class of manual workshops, I also agree. But there is only one thing. The root of the contradiction between man and land is actually the mouth that needs to eat. and the food grown.”

Zhuo Jing became more and more confused: "Even if you put people elsewhere, this problem will not be solved? Instead, as the agricultural class enters manual workshops, food output will be further reduced."

"That's right." Zheng He also realized this. "On the surface, the agricultural class has entered the manual workshops and transformed into a new manual class, but there must always be someone who cultivates the land to produce food to supply everyone's mouths."

"What you are thinking does make sense, but this is why I say that the productivity of industrial countries and agricultural countries is different."

Jiang Xinghuo said slowly: "The progress in productivity in industrialized countries is not only reflected in the advancement of machinery and agricultural technology, but also in the industrial and agricultural scissors gap in overseas trade of industrial products!"

Industrial and agricultural scissors difference.

A brand new vocabulary appeared in front of everyone.

"What is the scissor difference between industry and agriculture?" Zhuo Jing couldn't help but asked curiously.

Jiang Xinghuo drew four lines directly on the ground, representing the prices and values ​​of industrial and agricultural products respectively.

"The scissor difference between industry and agriculture refers to the difference that occurs when the price of industrial and agricultural products is higher than the value and the price of agricultural products is lower than the value when industrial and agricultural products are exchanged. It indicates the unequal exchange of the value of industrial and agricultural products."

"Look at my thread, does it look like scissors?"

When the three of them took a look, it was really like that. It looked like two pairs of scissors intertwined.

"Why does this happen?" Zhu Gaoxu was a little hard to understand.

Jiang Xinghuo explained: "As I said in the letter I just explained to you, starting from the Southern Song Dynasty, manual workshops that recruited hundreds of people to work together have shown huge efficiency advantages compared with the previous small workshops. I call this the intensification advantage of labor-intensive industries.”

"Even without the emergence of the [Iron Horse] I told you about before, labor-intensive industries that rely on people, such as the textile industry, can take advantage of this huge efficiency advantage to produce textiles with lower costs and higher output. , the selling price of this kind of textiles in overseas trade is the same or even higher."

".And if the large hydraulic spinning wheels that have been widely used in the Yuan Dynasty are upgraded and improved, this trade advantage will become even greater. This will form the first pair of scissors where the price of industrial products is higher than the value."

As he spoke, Jiang Xinghuo made Fatty Qiu's classic gesture with his left hand, scissors.

"You have to know that China has a comparative advantage over other countries in the world."

Zheng He found it novel and murmured: "Comparative advantage?"

"right."

Jiang Xinghuo explained the principle of this new term to them: "You have always heard of Tian Ji's horse racing, right? Tell me how Tian Ji won the horse racing?"

Zhu Gaoxu, who was signaled by Mr. Jiang, replied honestly: "It's Tian Ji's horse racing with the King of Qi. The quality of Tian Ji's upper, middle and lower horses is inferior to that of the King of Qi. However, Tian Ji has no use at all. The superior dismounted horse has a complete advantage over King Qi's mounted horse, and then uses the superior upper and middle horses to counter the middle and dismounted horses of King Qi, and the result is victory."

"That's comparative advantage."

"For example, let's take the trade between Daming and Annan as an example." Jiang Xinghuo elaborated: "Annan's two commodities, rice and cloth, are at a disadvantage in terms of unit output and quality compared to Daming. Is that okay?"

"no problem."

Zhuo Jing nodded. Although Annan has good lighting and hydrological conditions, it also grows the same Champa rice as Jiangnan in the Ming Dynasty. However, due to the lack of intensive farming by farmers there, farming is relatively extensive. Compared with the Jiangnan rice in the Ming Dynasty, no matter the unit acre, Yield, particle fullness and taste are all at a disadvantage.

As for weaving, let alone weaving. The vast majority of Annan women can only spin homespun yarn and homespun cloth to cover their bodies. The output and quality of the cloth they get after the same labor is far from that of the Ming Dynasty.

"Compared with Ming Dynasty, Annan is at a disadvantage in rice and cloth, but as long as Annan, which is at an overall disadvantage, has different degrees of disadvantage in the production of rice and cloth, Daming, which is in overall advantage, is in the production of rice and cloth. The degree of advantage is different, so Annan has a comparative advantage in the production of goods with less disadvantages, and Ming Dynasty has a comparative advantage in the production of goods with greater advantages."

Jiang Xinghuo smiled and said: "Then the question is, which commodity has the least disadvantage, rice or cloth from Annan?"

"Of course it's rice, because although the rice in Annan is slightly different from that in Ming Dynasty, the difference is not big."

"now it's right."

Jiang Xinghuo continued: "In Daming and Annan, if these two countries specialize in the production and export of goods with comparative advantages and import goods with comparative disadvantages, both countries can benefit from trade. This is international trade. The principle of comparative advantage."

"In other words, if Ming Dynasty exports cloth and Annan exports rice, then the two countries will participate in international trade according to their comparative advantages. By 'choosing the greater of two benefits and the lesser of two harms', both countries can gain benefits."

"The cloth handicraft workshops of the Ming Dynasty are so-called 'labor-intensive industries', which have improved efficiency, so exports are different from the past. Are there still differences between industrial and agricultural scissors?" Zhu Gaoxu's eyes lit up.

"Not only that, this is just the first pair of scissors I just mentioned, there is also a second one."

Jiang Xinghuo said softly: "Annan is an agricultural country. Since it is an agricultural country, there is a landlord class that exploits the agricultural class and the craftsman class. Guess, after this kind of international trade between countries, Annan's landlord class What will those in power, the landowning class, do, having obtained high-quality and relatively cheap cloth through the sale of rice?”

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly trembled.

"Through political or economic means, the cloth producers in the country's inefficient handicraft industry will be forced to transform into the agricultural class and produce more rice! And the Annan agricultural class, which originally produces rice, will also be forced to Sell ​​rice at a lower price to the Annan landowning class in power!”

"Yes, countries that are relatively disadvantaged compared to the Ming Dynasty will inevitably use their political, military, and economic power to purchase agricultural products from the agricultural class at low prices in exchange for Ming Dynasty's handicraft products and even machine-made industrial products."

"This is the second pair of scissors."