Zhang Shuning and Hu Yan arrived in Peiping and easily found Zhang Ximeng's residence. His son came with his classmates. Zhang Ximeng was in a good mood and prepared several dishes for them, which was a welcome relief.
Hu Yan was also an outstanding student at Jimin Academy, and Zhang Ximeng had a very good impression of him at first.
"How's it going? What are your plans after graduation?" Zhang Ximeng asked with a smile, and casually gave Hu Yan a piece of soft deer tendon with chopsticks.
Hu Yan thanked him hurriedly, and then said: "Grand Master, the student wants to study the development of Beiping and summarize some rules. To be honest, the student still doesn't understand. Is Beiping poor or rich, good or bad?"
Zhang Ximeng smiled brightly, "I can't say how to evaluate this. Let alone evaluating the quality of a place, even if it is to evaluate a person, it is difficult to judge clearly at once. If you can invent a universally recognized
Standard, if you learn from everyone, you can achieve a school of thought."
Hu Yan was slightly startled and said quickly: "Students don't have such great ambitions. Students just want to answer the doubts in their hearts."
At this time, Zhang Shuning said: "Senior brother, what my father said makes sense! How did we measure the quality of a country in the past? There was plenty of resources and people, and the people sang in full bellies, never picked up things on the road, and never closed their doors at night. The father was kind and the son was filial, the wind was clean and the evil was gone, and the young hair was yellow.
, be content with yourself. That is the rule of three generations."
Hu Yan thought for a while and said: "In the past, Confucianism used too many standards to govern the world based on folk customs and morality. For example, the number of chaste and martyr women, the number of people executed every year... I think these can be discussed. The most fundamental thing is that
They are two things, one is output and the other is income! In other words, how much materials can be provided, how much can the people get!"
"Production and consumption!" Zhang Ximeng concluded with a smile: "Hu Yan, is this what you mean?"
Hu Yan thought for a while and said quickly: "Thank you, Grand Master, for your advice. You really hit the nail on the head."
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "A family must live within their means as much as they can earn and spend as much as they can. This is the long-term solution. Although I object to equating a country with an enlarged family, in this matter, I still agree with this analogy."
How much can be produced, how much each person gets, and how much can be used to survive... As long as these simple things are sorted out, it will be clear at a glance when governing the country."
Hu Yan repeatedly praised, "The Grand Master always hits the nail on the head. If he thinks about what the students are thinking about, the Grand Master has already thought of it. The students are really good at what they do."
"No, it's not!" Zhang Ximeng said directly: "What you said is wrong. In fact, these things can be found in many ancient books. It's nothing new. But although there are similar expressions, we are still confused.
The problem is that this matter was not explained clearly. For example, Zhao Song encountered trouble when revising the food and goods records of the Song Dynasty, and it was a big trouble. Many people said that the annual revenue of the Song Dynasty's treasury was extremely high.
It was the pinnacle of all dynasties, so we can conclude that the Song Dynasty was extremely wealthy. Especially looking at the records about the prosperity of Tokyo, it even blew the Song Dynasty to the sky."
Hu Yan couldn't help but laugh. He had encountered this problem before in school and had a heated debate.
Some people even said based on some notes how prosperous and remarkable the Zhao and Song Dynasties were. I am afraid that the Ming Dynasty will not be able to catch up with the Song Dynasty in another hundred years.
But after a little research, you will find that this thing is not reliable at all.
These notes were probably recorded by literati and doctors. They were favored and generally had money...I went to Bianliang, Tokyo, where the world's wealth is gathered, and spent money to enjoy it, needless to say.
But while lamenting their good life, have you ever thought about the coachmen, cooks, servants, and even the girls from the brothel who provided them with convenience... What are these people like?
Who else could stand in their shoes and leave a note to record their lives?
It seems not yet.
In fact, it is not impossible to start with this matter... As long as you can calculate a few basic data, you can get an intuitive conclusion.
For example, over the past dynasties, how much grain was produced per mu, and how much was distributed among people? Is the distribution even?
However, even in these data, serious deviations often occur.
For example, some experts, based on a certain record in historical data, came to the absurd conclusion that the yield per mu was two or even four shi, and finally concluded that the per capita grain of the Song Dynasty was more than 1,400 kilograms, which is shocking and can make people laugh.
In the absence of disruptive breakthroughs in agricultural technology, the grain yield per mu is not high. Of course, it is not ruled out that there may be two dan per mu, or even more, but this cannot be regarded as an average, nor can we naively think that it will be the same every year.
so.
Because soil fertility is not static, it must be left fallow after continuous cultivation. There is another problem, that is, it depends on the weather, and the climate is constantly changing.
Needless to say, just changes in droughts and floods are enough to seriously affect grain yields... If the high temperature lasts for dozens of days in a certain year, the crops will be scorched to death, and the yield will be reduced and the harvest will be lost this season.
If you don't take this situation into account and just calculate the average value directly, your brain is broken.
According to Zhang Ximeng's observations over the years, if irrigation can be ensured, the average ten-year yield per mu can be stabilized at around one stone and five per mu. If there is no irrigation, on average, the yield may not even be one stone per mu per year.
This has been the general situation throughout the ages, with almost no exceptions.
The level of intensive farming in the Song Dynasty may have been higher, but the farmland in the Song Dynasty was limited and the land fertility was lost. It is hard to say how high the yield per mu was.
Anyway, it would be nonsense to say that the Song Dynasty was more powerful than the Tang Dynasty.
Hu Yan and Zhang Ximeng talked about these things not to simply criticize the Song Dynasty, but just to explore an evaluation standard.
Take the current Peiping as an example. After so many years of hard work, what progress has it made compared with other places in the Central Plains? What standards should be used to measure it?
If it's really useless and nothing works, then there's no need to worry about it, just go to sleep.
I have to say that a talented person like Hu Yan, after being guided by Zhang Ximeng and giving full play to his strengths, is indeed quite outstanding and has his own uniqueness.
Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "I am also looking forward to your results...agriculture, industry, food, cloth, fuel, food, clothing, housing and transportation...a set of standards has been developed in all aspects to comprehensively evaluate the governance results of various places. Good ones are good, and bad ones are
Bad. Take it easy and come up with a conclusion."
Hu Yan nodded repeatedly, "Thank you so much, Master, for your guidance and encouragement. The students will do their best and live up to their expectations!"
Zhang Shuning thought for a while and then said: "Senior Brother Hu, I don't know if you are interested. Let me take you to Prince Yan's Mansion. I will inquire about Prince Yan's truth."
Hu Yan was naturally overjoyed. He wanted to understand the situation in Peiping, and it would be of great reference value if he could get the information directly from Prince Yan's Mansion.
It's just that Zhang Shuning's wording is very strange. Is Zhu Di hiding something? Outsiders still don't know the truth?
Hu Yan expressed doubts.
Zhang Ximeng is not surprised at all. That boy Zhu Di is more slippery than a loach. Don't look at it under his nose. The area that Peking can control is so large, involving all aspects of things. What is Zhu Di's family background? It's really
Hard to say.
Is it like Zhu Di cried, owed 10 million yuan in debt and was so poor that he couldn't even pay the interest?
There is still another mystery, which is really hard to say.
It would be best if Zhang Shuning is willing to inquire. After all, as we all know, Zhu Di and Zhang Shuning grew up naked. These two little brats are probably closer than their own brothers!
…
"Shun Ning, you're finally here. How about it, Peking University or Peking Normal School? You choose one. If you want both, I'll give them to you!"
Zhang Shuning couldn't help but laugh, "How old am I, how can I have the nerve to be a mountain leader?"
Zhu Di disagreed, "When I was the vassal king, I was not as old as you are now! Look, I didn't do a very good job."
Zhang Shuning suddenly laughed, "You are really doing a good job? But how did I hear that you are so poor? The interest alone is over a million dollars every year. If you called me over, wouldn't you want to pay off the debt with you?"
Then I won’t do it!”
Zhu Di's face sank and he hummed: "Who do you think I am? You really think I have no family fortune at all!"
"Are you rich?" Zhang Shuning asked curiously.
Zhu Di blinked and said, "How should I put it? Although I don't have money, I have something in my hands!"
"What?"
"The most important thing!"
Zhang Shuning couldn't help but smile, "The most important thing, besides money, is food? Could it be that the food company had a good harvest?"
Zhu Di laughed loudly, "I'm just saying, no one is as smart as you! Congratulations, you guessed it right!"
Zhang Shuning came with Hu Yan. They had discussed the issue of food before. Now that they heard about the good harvest, how could they remain indifferent!
Zhu Di blinked, "That Shu Ning, I can tell you. But you'd better promise not to tell your husband, let alone my father!"
Zhang Shuning was stunned and said helplessly: "I can only do my best. If this matter doesn't involve anything else, you can do whatever you want."
Zhu Di was helpless and gritted his teeth angrily, "I knew you were always like this!" Zhu Di gritted his teeth, but still couldn't hold it back.
"Forget it, I'll tell you if I tell you. There are dozens of farming companies now, and the least one has 100,000 acres of farmland. The land in Liaodong is quite fertile, and the average yield per mu is five dou. Although it's not much, it's better than the acres of land.
The amount is astonishing. I can hold at least three million stones of grain in my hands this year, so what do you think I have to be afraid of?"
Zhang Shuning didn't say anything, but Hu Yan couldn't help but said, "Your Highness, King Yan, your grain output is not high. After deducting what is given to farmers and paying taxes, how much is left?"
Zhu Di was slightly startled, "What kind of farmers? How can I have any farmers here? The farming company uses labor from Korea and Japan. When the farming is busy, one pound of grain a day is enough. When the farming is slack, three taels is enough.
Otherwise, sell it to lumber mills and let them cut the trees."
Hu Yan was dumbfounded when he heard this... He admitted that he had been negligent. It seemed that he could not just calculate how much he produced and how much he distributed to the people... but also how much he could rob and squeeze!
In a word, Zhu Di is actually very fat now!
(End of chapter)
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