plumnovel Chapter 74 The Confident Commander
Chapter 74 The Confident Commander
Lu Linglong frowned and asked, "Chang Yuan, what is capitalism?"
Chang Yuan thought for a moment and realized that he couldn't remember the specific content of the horse scorpion class.
Coincidentally, his experiences in his previous life gave him an understanding of capital and capitalism that went beyond the scope of textbooks.
So he organized his thoughts and reorganized his language according to the realities of the Ming Dynasty:
"Capitalism is a social model in which everything revolves around capital, everything is for the purpose of capital accumulation, and everything is for the purpose of reducing the cost of capital operation."
"In short, it means that the 'merchant' in the traditional Chinese social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants has reversed its position and climbed above the 'scholar' to gain the greatest power."
"The pinnacle of capitalism would probably be a world with only three classes: merchants, scholars, and artisans. Not only would it eliminate farmers, but it would also target scholars, partially assimilating them into its own ranks and partially suppressing them into laborers, making them work like oxen and horses!"
Lu Linglong frowned and said, "Now that you mention it, I do think there's some truth to it. Commerce comes first; how can those profit-driven people hold power?"
"In our 5,000-year-old Chinese history, has there ever been an era in which merchants held power?"
Chang Yuandao said: "Yes, there are chaotic times, apocalyptic times, or barbarian invasions, the destruction of the world, and cannibalism."
"The former is like the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, while the latter is like the Yuan Dynasty and the Tartars..."
He paused for a moment, then realized, "Oh right, the Ming Dynasty in this world has lived for 500 years and is still the only hegemon in the world. There is no trace of the Qing Dynasty at all."
The second catastrophe of the Chinese nation did not occur!
that's nice!
Although there was no Qing who committed the most heinous crimes, so many precedents were enough for Lu Linglong to understand.
In particular, the tax farming system of the Yuan Dynasty left a very deep impression on the Ming Dynasty.
The literati in Jiangnan deeply mourned the loss, while the Ming emperors believed it to be a profound lesson, and the common people abhorred it.
As a member of a prominent family in Jiangnan and a member of the Ming Dynasty imperial family, Lu Linglong also has her own unique understanding of the capitalism that Chang Yuan talks about.
Her eyes were clear and bright: "The capitalism you're talking about is merchants who have escaped the government's supervision. The money they possess has grown its own will, controlling these wealthy merchants."
"Money with a will has the instinct to multiply itself, flows recklessly under the drive of instinct, and manipulates merchants to cruelly exploit the working people."
"Merchants also collude with the government, leaving the suffering people with nowhere to seek justice, resulting in an atmosphere of resentment and becoming a breeding ground for the rampant growth of cults."
Chang Yuan was so surprised that his mouth dropped open. He gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Lord Lu's summary is spot on!"
Lu Linglong was startled by her own summary. She slowly shook her head and said, "My summary is nothing. The key is your statement."
"Chang Yuan, you're truly... you're a genius!"
Without any hesitation, the young girl, Baihu, took out a jade pendant that emitted a fluorescent glow from her bosom.
She spoke to the jade pendant as if making a phone call, saying, "Uncle, I know what happened!"
The voice of Lu Huan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rang out, tinged with a mixture of helplessness and indulgence: "Now that you have the answer, tell me."
"My dear niece said to hurry up, your uncle is very busy right now, he only has a short break..."
Lu Linglong snorted in dissatisfaction, "Half a cup of tea? Who do you think you are?"
"Listen carefully..."
Then she relayed her understanding to the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in its entirety.
Lu Huan initially responded with "oh," "um," and "ha," but quickly fell completely silent.
But as soon as Lu Linglong paused, he would immediately ask, "What else? You haven't finished yet, have you?"
The phone call… well, it lasted a full quarter of an hour before Lu Linglong said, satisfied, “I’ve finished talking. Uncle, do you think it makes sense?”
The commander breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That makes sense! It's like a sudden enlightenment!"
"Linglong, this isn't just a bookish principle. Every word is filled with insight and compassion for the lower classes of the Ming Dynasty. You didn't come up with this yourself, did you?"
Lu Linglong had no intention of taking credit and simply replied, "Yes, Chang Yuan told me. I just put it back together after understanding it."
Lu Huan paused for a moment, then said, "Chang Yuan, you've really come across as incredibly talented. My dear niece is so lucky to have gotten such a good deal."
"That's settled then. I need to report to His Majesty the Emperor."
Chang Yuan quickly reminded him, "Have the Commander-in-Chief send someone to investigate. There must be places like the workshop towns near the capital. Only by verifying the situation in the capital can we better convince His Majesty..."
Lu Linglong readily complied and relayed the information verbatim to her uncle, which earned her many sighs from Lu Huan.
"Great, great, really great!"
"Chang Yuan is truly a talented young man; even I'm a little envious..."
Lu Linglong immediately bristled: "Uncle—!"
However, her voice was crisp and clear, as cute as a cat's hiss, and had no intimidating power.
The two of them completely forgot about the half-cup of tea time they had agreed on earlier.
Lu Huan followed Chang Yuan's advice and did not immediately seek an audience with the emperor.
He dispatched two teams of imperial guards to Haihe Workshop City and Tongzhou Canal Port Area, respectively, to conduct on-site investigations of these two largest concentrations of workshops.
Thanks to the increasing availability of telephones in the capital region, the commander-in-chief received an initial report in just 45 minutes.
Just as Chang Yuan said, resentment was rampant in the workshop cluster area.
Even just hearing the words spoken by the Imperial Guards over the phone in trembling voices—"a chaotic and murky world, a lifeless and desolate place, a thick fog of dust, and a scene of widespread suffering"—sent chills down Lu Huan's spine.
It's as if the Embroidered Uniform Guard isn't describing the land of the Ming Dynasty, but rather a legendary hell with a bizarre atmosphere.
When Lu Huan hung up the phone, he was surprised to find that his hands were trembling.
He dared not delay any longer and immediately went to the Imperial Palace at the drill ground to request an audience with His Majesty Emperor Jinghe.
As the emperor's most trusted and relied-upon chief of secret service, his request for an audience was quickly granted.
When Lu Huan arrived at the entrance of the inner palace, he happened to meet several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet who had been summoned by the Emperor.
He didn't greet the several Grand Secretaries, nor even exchange glances, but simply lowered his head and waited until the high-ranking civil officials left before speaking: "Your subject, Lu Huan, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, requests an audience!"
Emperor Jinghe's slightly weary voice came through: "Come in."
When Lu Huan entered, he saw the emperor sitting on his throne, gently pressing his temples with his hand.
The emperor, without opening his eyes, asked, "Lu Huan, do you know what I was just discussing with several Grand Secretaries?"
Lu Huan said, "I dare to guess that it is the question Your Majesty asked me two and a half hours ago."
The emperor chuckled: "Hehe, you old rascal, you truly are my number one confidant, you can guess everything."
"Indeed, that is the question I asked, but none of you gentlemen have been able to answer it for me."
"Even the smartest, wisest, and most learned people in the Ming Dynasty don't know this..."
Lu Huan smiled confidently: "Your Majesty, I understand."
The emperor, unconcerned, closed his eyes and murmured, "Hmm..."
"Um?"
"Wait, you said: You know?"
Lu Huan confirmed again: "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."
The emperor became interested: "Tell me quickly..."
Lu Huan: "Yes, sir!"