Number of People

  Chapter 454 The T-shaped scroll is a genius, brainwashed and beaten

   Naturally, Feng Ziying couldn't refuse Wei Guangwei's invitation. This person can be regarded as a representative of the Zhongjian faction, and he is from Beizhi, and he has a good relationship with Qi Yongtai. Feng Ziying couldn't refuse Wei Guangwei's invitation alone.

Feng Ziying's identity is more complicated. He was born in Shandong, but grew up in Datong, Shanxi. However, he was included in Beizhi Shuntianfu when he was studying and taking scientific examinations. Therefore, Qi Yongtai (Beizhi), Qiao Yingjia (Shanxi) and Zhou Yongchun (Shandong) , Geng Ruqi (Shandong) and others all have a certain kind of affection for him.

  Of course, there are also scholars who are also from Shandong, such as Wang Xiangchun, who are very indifferent to him.

   Soon the four of them came out.

  Wei Guangwei is only in his early thirties, only ten years older than Feng Ziying and others. He looks like a gentleman, coupled with his extraordinary bearing, which is very eye-catching. Compared with Feng Ziying, Fan Jingwen, He Fengsheng and others, he looks much immature.

  Even though it was night, the market in Zhangjiawan area was still full of people coming and going. Lanterns were hung on the street shops on both sides, illuminating the whole street like daytime, and there was no such thing as closed doors as imagined.

"The Great Zhou Dynasty is so prosperous, it's a pity that such a grand scene is rare in our north." Wei Guangwei said with emotion, "The northern land is dying, but the imperial court pushed back the strategy of opening the sea. Although the income from opening the sea is nominal It is used for the defense of the nine frontiers, but Ziying, you are the initiator of this strategy of opening the sea, do you feel that the biggest beneficiary of this opening of the sea is still the south, but our north has been abandoned to the side?"

   Wei Guangwei's words didn't sound like much change in tone, but the more so, the more it means that the other party has been thinking about this issue for a long time.

"What else can we scholars in the North have, other than the enhanced commitment to the defense of the Nine Frontiers of the North? But is the defense of the Nine Frontiers of the North just for our northern provinces? Why do they in the south feel that opening the sea to borrow money is giving us alms?" , we should be short-sighted, why? We are unwilling."

  Feng Ziying and Fan Jingwen exchanged glances. It seems that Mr. Wei has a purpose in inviting his group out.

Wei Guangwei's point of view should represent the mainstream point of view of scholars in the North. Even now that Qi Yongtai, Qiao Yingjia, Wang Yongguang and others have accepted this strategy of opening up the sea, the proceeds from the debt are mainly used for the defense of the nine borders, but they really have some insight Scholars can still see the long-term and huge benefits brought by the strategy of opening the sea to the whole Nanzhi, Fujian and Zhejiang, Guangdong and Guangxi, and even the neighboring Jiangxi.

  Silk, tea, porcelain, paper, medicinal materials, these goods to be exported after opening the sea are basically mainly produced in the south, and even food and taxes are also concentrated in Jiangnan and Huguang.

The wealth and wealth of the Great Zhou itself has already gathered in the south of the Yangtze River. Once the sea is opened, this kind of economic livelihood closely related to trade will usher in a wave of greater development. For the Northland, this is not good news, because The North got nothing.

This means that the south of the Yangtze River will become more and more prosperous, and the discourse power of the southern gentry and merchants will also increase accordingly. This kind of economic foundation determines the truth of the superstructure, although the scholars in this era may not be able to truly analyze and demonstrate it from the perspective of modern political economy. Come out, but there is no doubt that as the most intelligent and intelligent group of people in this era, they can also feel and comprehend the truth.

  Look at the various guild halls gathered in the capital city. In addition to the Shanshan guild hall, look at the southern merchant gang guild halls that can be found everywhere in the capital city. There are more than ten times the number of merchant gang guild halls in the north?

  Everyone is very clear about what this kind of business gang hall represents and what it means.

   Let’s take a look at the various street shops in this Jiawan market. How much of the northern goods, silk, tea, cloth, medicinal materials, porcelain and antiques account for the northern merchants?

   This is Tongzhou under the capital city, the heartland of the northern land, where the influence of southern merchants has already penetrated.

"Ziying, Mengzhang, Keyou, I know that my point of view is a bit narrow, well, judging from the thinking of Qigong and Qiaogong, it's not that they can't see this, but they still support this Kaihai In short, they considered the problem from the perspective of the entire imperial court, because the nine sides couldn't afford it, so they could only take this step,..."

   Wei Guangwei's words shocked Feng Ziying, Fan Jingwen and He Fengsheng, but Wei Guangwei had already seen this.

"But it's okay to think about the imperial court's plans, but after reflection, don't we have any room for recovery in the North? We just watch the south flourish and prosper, but we are helpless and have nothing to do? We are ashamed Sangzi in the Northland." Wei Guangwei looked at Feng Ziying with serious eyes, "Ziying, Duke Qi and Duke Qiao have always said that you may not be worthy of classics and poetry, but you have a clever strategy to break through the mold, why teach me?"

  Feng Ziying fell silent, while the eyes of Fan Jingwen and He Fengsheng also fell on Feng Ziying.

  This question is so big that even Feng Ziying cannot answer it easily.

"Uncle Xian, your question, Master Qi and Master Qiao have actually mentioned it implicitly, that is why since the Tang and Song Dynasties, why has our northern land declined more and more, while the south is still in the ascendant?" Feng Ziying did not answer Wei Guangwei's question. , but poses another problem.

And this question seems to be sharper and sharper, making people feel that the nature of historical changes is impermanent. Why was the north always the center of the entire country's court before the Song and Tang Dynasties, whether it was Chang'an or Bianliang? The upper hand, but now it has become like this?

  In fact, since the Northern Song Dynasty, the country’s center of gravity began to shift to the south. Whether you admit it or not, this is an irrefutable and irreversible reality.

"There may be many answers to this question, and they all have certain reasons. For example, the north is constantly in war, the south is relatively stable, and the population migrates from north to south. For example, the former Song Dynasty was centered on Hangzhou, so it naturally promoted the development of Jiangnan. But my younger brother thinks, This is not the most important reason." Feng Ziying paused before saying: "I think there are two most fundamental and most critical factors. First, the natural conditions for farming in the south are better, while the north is more arid and there are more disasters. , In contrast, the southern water, heat and light conditions are better,..."

Feng Ziying briefly explained to the three people the influence of water, heat, sunlight and soil on the development of agriculture. Although everyone knows these factors, when Feng Ziying uses a relatively professional and modern vocabulary to explain these reasons and their impact on agricultural planting However, it still shocked them severely.

At least they have never really understood the requirements of wheat, rice, cotton, and mulberry on water, heat, light, and soil, and they still look at it with a traditional and simple way of thinking, but Feng Ziying gave them another lesson today. a lesson.

"Wait a minute, Ziying, do you mean that the agricultural conditions in the north are not comparable to those in the south? Then why before the Tang and Song Dynasties, the north was more prosperous, while the south was sparsely populated, like a wilderness? "Before Wei Guangwei could speak, Fan Jingwen couldn't hold back.

"Mengzhang, let me tell you that this is the change brought about by the improvement of agricultural production technology. After the Champa rice was introduced into the Champa Kingdom in the Song Dynasty, this kind of rice has a short growth period, drought tolerance, and high yield. It is more suitable for the south of the Yangtze River. The weather in Huguang, Guangdong and Guangxi, or the water, heat and sunlight in these areas are more suitable for this kind of rice planting, which can achieve two crops and three crops a year, and the output of rice per season on the same area is about twice that of wheat in the north. Under such circumstances, the agriculture in the south has completely overwhelmed us in the north in solving the most critical problem of getting enough to eat,..."

  Feng Ziying dealt a fatal blow to several people calmly and cruelly.

"When this kind of rice has established its dominant position, it is very unlikely for us in the north to recover in agriculture, because we can think about it, assuming that one mu of land in the north can produce one hundred catties of wheat in one season, and In the south, it can produce two hundred catties of rice in one season, and it can also be planted in two or even three seasons of rice and wheat every year. Even if the north can supplement some other things in the remaining time to make up for it, in fact, we all know that this kind of grain The huge gap of four or five times the income cannot be made up by others,..."

   Several people are silent. He Fengsheng is from Huguang, so he naturally understands this truth, especially the difference between the north and the south in planting rice and wheat. When Wei Guangwei and Fan Jingwen want to understand this truth, they are almost depressed.

"When there is enough food to fill the belly, the population will naturally increase, and when the population increases and the food is temporarily sufficient, then more land can be vacated, or other resources can be used When the land suitable for growing rice and wheat is planted with mulberry and hemp to grow tea, when women and children can still spend their spare time spinning and weaving, how can our north compete with the south?"

Feng Ziying said indifferently: "This is not counting the dense water network in the south. For the huge advantage in transportation consumption costs, we are very clear that the difficulty and hugeness of the nine-side food supply is actually transportation damage. If there is a road like The canal under our feet runs from the northwest to Liaodong along the Nine Sides, so it would be easy for us to reduce our food expenses by half,..."

Wei Guangwei feels that he has never been "brainwashed and beaten" like he is today. In fact, many problems are not complicated, and he can understand them after thinking about them seriously. It's over, but when Feng Ziying listed them one by one like this, he felt that he was completely convinced, and there was no room for refutation.

"Ziying, according to what you say, there is no chance for us in the north?" Fan Jingwen took a few breaths. He felt that Feng Ziying's words were like a huge stone in his heart, and it was difficult to move away. He wanted to refute and overthrow it, but he couldn't find a reason and in accordance with.

"Under the current production model that basically revolves around the basic needs of having a full stomach and clothing, and with a larger population in the south and more favorable traditional agricultural conditions, it is difficult to change. Well, maybe we in the north There are still some opportunities, but it is basically impossible to completely reverse it." Feng Ziying replied rationally and affirmatively.

  (end of this chapter)