Chapter 2735 Guizi scroll declaration, interests and feelings (2)
Of course, national defense is the top priority, external problems, and external concerns are always ranked in front, but in fact, the annihilation of a dynasty basically comes from inside, or both internal and external factors, and even more internal problems.
To arouse the common hatred of everyone and win the support of military personnel, appropriate exaggeration and profit temptation are necessary. Conventional tactics, Feng Ziying is no exception.
"The reason why we should first mention the external situation that our Zhou Dynasty is currently facing is because it seems that our foreign troubles have been initially resolved, but everyone knows that people without long-term worries must have short-term worries. The development history of our Han Dynasty has always been It’s not all smooth sailing. We have always been forging ahead in constant bumps and struggles. Many ringworm and scabies diseases that originally seemed insignificant will develop into serious diseases inadvertently, such as the Liao people and Jin people in the former Song Dynasty. , such as Huang Chao during the Li and Tang Dynasties, as well as Jianzhou Jurchen and even Bailian in this dynasty, so we must prepare for a rainy day..."
“A strong and well-equipped army is the basic guarantee for defending our territory, and it is also a strong guarantee for opening up a greater living space for our people,…”
"I would like to inform you about the changes in the population of our dynasty every ten years starting from the 30th year of Yuanxi. The 30th year of Yuanxi, the 40th year of Yuanxi, the eighth year of Yonglong, and the sixth year of Wantong. As of now, that is, In the third year of Xuanshun, the population of our Zhou Dynasty increased from 70 million to the current 120 million in thirty-six years. If we follow the current growth rate, in the seventh year of Xuanshun, it may have grown to 120 million. Thirty million, in the 17th year of Xuan Shun, it may reach 150 million, which means that in fifty years, the population of our Zhou Dynasty will more than double..."
Demographic statistics is a metaphysical figure for the current Zhou Dynasty, and it is difficult to have an accurate statistics. Feng Ziying can only make a slight calculation based on the approximate figures from the Ministry of Household Affairs and some estimates she vaguely saw on the Internet in the late Ming Dynasty before the war. There have been some increases and decreases, but it is probably about the same number.
"Everyone can imagine that the territory of our Zhou Dynasty has not changed, and has even shrunk slightly. For example, Hami and Guazhou have been lost. Of course, Liaodong has been recovered now, so the two offset each other, which is about the same. But compared with Yuanxi In thirty years, it has nearly doubled, but has the land or wheat and corn yield per mu in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, and Hebei doubled? Has the paddy field area and rice yield per mu in Jiangnan, Huguang, and Jiangnan doubled?"
"Haha, maybe I have to give you an unsatisfactory result. According to statistics from the Ministry of Household Affairs, in the past thirty years, the land area of our Northland has barely changed, but the yield per mu has increased slightly. The average yield per mu has increased by about half. As for Jiangnan and Huguang, the land used to grow rice and wheat in Jiangnan has slightly decreased, mainly due to the impact of switching to cash crops. The yield per mu has also increased, about 10%, while in Huguang, Southwest and Lingnan The area used for planting rice and wheat has increased significantly, about 20%, and the yield per mu has also increased slightly..."
Feng Ziying looked around.
"You can calculate that our population has nearly doubled, but our grain output and production capacity have only increased by about 30%. This is mainly due to the increase in newly expanded land and crops in Lingnan, Southwest and Huguang through dense planting and widespread fertilization. , if we add in the changes brought about by the promotion of new crops, we are confident that the food growth can achieve an increase of about 20%. That is to say, when our population doubles, according to our current efforts, we may achieve an increase of about 20%. Our food supply has increased by half, and compared with fifty years ago, our per capita food supply will further decline..."
There was a commotion in the palace.
Everyone knows what the consequences of food shortage will be. Moreover, if this is an overall shortage and is reflected locally, the situation will be more severe and dangerous, which means that the risk of civil unrest will increase significantly, which will have a great impact on a dynasty. It’s self-evident how great the threat will be.
"In fact, we all understand that the various problems that have arisen within the Zhou Dynasty over the years are ultimately due to the lack of food and wealth. Insufficient food means that the people cannot fill their stomachs, and insufficient wealth means that Our court does not have enough power to deal with various problems and unexpected risks that may arise, and as time goes by, we may face greater pressure because the population is still growing. So when we face this challenge, what should we do? How to solve it?"
External threats have arisen, and internal problems have arisen. This is the current situation. Only then can we return to the fundamentals of this speech, why these national strategies are being launched.
"What I mentioned before can only be said to be the most basic challenge that our Zhou Dynasty needs to face to survive. In fact, I know very well that our common people, our gentry and merchants, and our officials and warriors are facing Our court also has higher expectations. Officials and military officials hope that our salaries will be higher, and the people hope that rents will be smaller, more money will fall into their pockets, more food will be stored at home, and clothes will not be so shabby. Tagging can be more dignified. Businessmen want to be safer and more stable when doing business outside. These require our court officials and even local officials to come up with better countermeasures. This is why I want to convene such a meeting. The reason for the Great Zhou Dynasty Meeting is that we hope to work together to formulate more precise and effective policy strategies for the development of the Great Zhou Dynasty in the next five years..."
The officials all had thoughtful expressions on their faces. This is the vision proposed by the new chief minister and the ambition he wants to realize in the next five or even ten or twenty years. As long as he still hangs around in this court, then We have to face this point squarely and act around this vision.
Next, Feng Ziying had a few more things in her hands.
"These are the emeralds and red sapphires produced in the Western Regions, and of course the famous sweat-blooded horse. I can't bring them to the palace today. The Yarkand Khanate and its affiliated Turpan Governor-General control the Anhui area of our former homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties. The land of Northwest Court and the Chu River Basin and Fergana Basin to the west were originally controlled by Li Tang when he was at his peak. They could accommodate three to five million people. This is our gateway to the west. It is the choke point of the land route for Yi. I hope that in my lifetime, I can see our army standing on this land, turning swords into plowshares for our people, and opening up a geomantic treasure land that can defend the Western Frontier..."
Feng Ziying raised the silk bag in her hand, and then poured out the gems in the bag, falling on the ground, attracting the attention of countless people.
"This is pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Everyone knows where these spices are..." There were several more silk bags. Feng Ziying raised her hand to indicate, "Sucrose is not new to everyone. I don't need to mention it." Said, these two pieces of wood, rosewood and sandalwood, are also produced in Dazhou, but only in Qiongzhou, and the output is not large, and the quality is not as good as Nanyang. Then I want to tell you that Palawan, which is the future Guangdong Ba Lawang State has been included in our Da Zhou territory and will become an important production area, but this is far from enough. We all know how much demand the people in our Da Zhou territory have for spices and wood, but these are all available in Nanyang. At your fingertips, countless islands the size of Qiongzhou Island and Dongfan Island are distributed in the vast South Ocean. No one cares about the various precious trees and spices on them. At this time, the French, Dutch and English people were already thousands of miles away. They have arrived at our doorstep and are the first to seize it all. This requires our people and navy to defend and fight for everything that belongs to us. We cannot sit back and watch the Western barbarians show off their power in front of our door. This ocean and land should be It belongs to the people of our land..."
What moves people, apart from feelings, is interests.
If restoring the homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties in the Western Regions is a sentiment, which can make officials and warriors feel honored, then going south into Nanyang to compete with the Western Yi states is both sentiment and interest, and even the interests are heavier.
The reason why these special products are brought to the main hall is to let everyone see and feel this warm thing in the most intuitive way, and also to let them understand why the imperial court should spare no effort to forge ahead with the outside world. It is not warlike, but The people's survival needs forced the court to go outwards, otherwise the food and material needs brought by the expanding population would be unbearable for the court.
After the chicken soup and flatbread were finished, Feng Ziying also started to get to the point. From the perspective of the imperial court's deep cultivation of good governance, she would elaborate on the measures to be taken in the eight major fields from the central to the local government, including officials, households, etiquette, military, punishment, industry, commerce, and agriculture. measures, and how local governments should implement the decisions of the central government and promote the progress of various affairs based on their own actual conditions.
At this stage, the people in the palace have a rough understanding of Feng Ziying's thoughts and intentions. Everything needs to be advanced around the general strategy determined by the cabinet. Every local work must be combined with reality and must be in line with the central strategy of the imperial court. Only Those who promote work according to this path are the officials who are suitable for selection and reuse by the future court.
When Feng Ziying finished stating all this enthusiastically, it was already noon.
Manage the food.
In the afternoon, the eight ministries and the Metropolitan Procuratorate explained their respective responsibilities.
In the next two days, the attendees will be divided into several groups to discuss the reports of the cabinet and the eight-ministerial procuratorate. The secretariat composed of Wang Wenyan and others will discuss the opinions and opinions put forward by all parties throughout the meeting. It is recommended to sort it out, remove the essence and dross, and add to it to finally form a final decision.
This is destined to be an unprecedented conference. The form and content of the conference are unprecedented, and the impact it brings will also make people sleepless at night.
(End of this chapter)