I watched Er Chuang’s short video, and everything went numb!

The plane of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Di looked at the huge screen in the sky, and his heart was shocked.

"Impossible!"

"It can't be like this!"

Zhu Di frowned deeply.

He couldn't accept such a statement.

If it is said that there is a strong imperial system, it is impossible for ancient China to start the industrial revolution. Doesn't that mean that the Ming Dynasty can't start the industrial revolution?

Or.

If the Ming Dynasty wants to start the industrial revolution, it must give up or weaken the imperial system?

Zhu Di can't accept either of the above two situations.

"No! It will never be like this!"

"What people say in later generations is just one person's opinion, and it may not be necessarily correct."

"Under my leadership, the Ming Dynasty will definitely start the industrial revolution!"

Zhu Di's eyes were firm.

As a powerful ruler, he had great self-confidence.

He had no hesitation in launching the Industrial Revolution.

He firmly believed that he could successfully launch the Industrial Revolution on the basis of ensuring the imperial rule.

In fact.

Not only Zhu Di.

In other dynasties, some emperors calmed down quickly after being shocked.

They were still determined to launch the Industrial Revolution.

Of course.

Not all emperors thought so.

There were also many emperors who, after reading the content on the giant screen in front of them, began to tend not to launch the Industrial Revolution, but to keep everything as it was.

……

[Although China already had the buds of commercial development and capitalism at this time. ]

[But if we look at a wider perspective, from Arabia to India, almost every civilized country that benefited from the Silk Road has more or less developed its own mercantilism system for a short period of time. 】

【If we bring in the previous data and logic, they also seem to have the possibility of producing an industrial revolution. 】

【But whether it is China or Arabia, they failed to develop mature capitalism in the end. 】

【Some "583" people believe that the fundamental reason is that people in other regions are not as barbaric and greedy as Europeans, and dare to abandon conscience and morality to enslave and plunder other regions at will. 】

……

See here.

Many ancient people in all dynasties nodded slightly.

They thought of what European countries such as the British Empire, which they had seen in various videos before, did during the Age of Exploration.

When conquering colonies, these European countries massacred the indigenous people of the colonies.

And after officially occupying the colonies.

These countries not only plundered the various resources of the colonies crazily, but also started the infamous "triangular trade" in later generations, selling the people of the colonies as goods everywhere.

All these evil deeds are indeed greedy and cruel, without any morality or conscience.

These ancient people who believed in benevolence and righteousness thought so in their hearts.

But.

At the same time.

On the other hand.

Many emperors in the past dynasties had different views.

They did not think that there was anything wrong with the practices of European countries such as the British Empire during the Age of Exploration and Colonization.

As the rulers of a country, they deeply knew that in the face of national interests, the set of moral laws used to regulate personal behavior was not applicable.

If it were not for the Europeans who started the Age of Exploration and Colonization, people from other regions would have plundered and enslaved these colonies.

Just like themselves, the same is true.

These emperors agreed with a sentence heard in the previous video: Colonial plunder is a necessary path to achieve national industrialization.

……

[But, think about it carefully, which inch of the territory of any nation was not won by cruel wars of all sizes in history? ]

[If it were East Asians, Persians or Arabs who opened up the New World. 】

【When facing the weak and backward Indians with huge amounts of silver and gold, would they really engage in equal and mutually beneficial trade instead of engaging in almost cost-free violent plunder? 】

……

For this question.

In different dynasties, different ancient people had different views.

Some ancient Confucian scholars or students who believed in benevolence and righteousness firmly believed that if a country of etiquette like China first discovered the new continent of America, it would definitely not do things like robbing and plundering like Western countries.

Instead, they would definitely get along with the indigenous people of the new continent in a friendly manner and conduct equal and mutually beneficial transactions.

On the other hand.

Other ancient people believed that facing so many gold and silver mines, as well as weak indigenous peoples, no one would not be tempted.

What peaceful coexistence and friendly trade are impossible.

Most of the representatives of this group are ancient kings, princes, generals and ministers.

……

[The Great Red Mentor said that when capital came into the world, from head to toe, every pore was dripping with blood and filth. 】

The bullet screen flew out:

"This is a wise saying. The history of the rise of capitalism is actually a history of capital exploiting labor and the great powers plundering weak countries. This historical process is full of violence and blood."

"That's right. None of the primitive accumulation of capital in Western capitalist countries is clean."

"Indeed, capital is greedy and full of blood and filth!"

"Reply-capital is indeed not a good thing, but I think another sentence makes more sense, that is: exploitation comes from power, not capital."

"Reply-that makes sense, but in capitalist countries, capital means power."

"..."

Many ancient people in all dynasties looked at the giant screen in the sky, and they seemed to understand.

They could understand these afterPeople in the world accuse Western countries of getting rich through plunder.

But it is difficult for them to truly understand the exploitative nature of capital.

After all, in terms of the degree of exploitation of the people, the monarchical society is undoubtedly better.

……

[And this Pandora's box of capital is right there. The only difference is who opens it first. The effect after opening it is the same. ]

[The objective law of history is not for Yao and Shun, nor for Jie. ]

[When more advanced productive forces and production relations require people to carry out bloody primitive accumulation, all morality and conscience cannot stop the drive of interests on people. ]

……

"This is a big mistake!"

The ancients who believed in benevolence and righteousness in all dynasties once again expressed their firm opposition.

They firmly believed that if people who studied and understood the saints' learning in depth like them would not be profit-seeking and unrighteous.

Of course.

Many ancient people nodded in agreement.

For them, people come and go for profit.

If someone still talks about morality and conscience, it must be because the benefits are not big enough.

……

[The real key to whether the Song Dynasty can enter the industrial age lies in the natural environment of East Asia. ]

[The land of Chinese culture has several large plains with vast areas, suitable for farming and interconnected, which has led to the long-term existence of a unified and powerful imperial power system. ]

[No other type of political force can shake the monopoly of the imperial power on the highest power. ]

[Once the merchant class tries to become an independent pole on the historical stage, it will inevitably be suppressed by the country's largest landlord, the "emperor". ]

[Since the Song Dynasty, there has been no shortage of merchants selling official positions and titles in every dynasty, and corruption caused by collusion between officials and merchants is even more common. 】

【But in essence, if merchants want their wealth to be passed on, they can only integrate into the feudal system dominated by imperial power by investing in local land and cooperating with the bureaucratic class. 】

【That is, they use the money they earn to become landlords and become part of the traditional ruling class, without creating new social classes. 】

Barrage flew out:

"Scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, the status of merchants in ancient China has never been high. Even if they value commerce, they have not really improved their social and political status."

"Shen Wansan: I understand this, what a painful realization!"

"This is the truth. The emperor himself is the spokesperson of the landlord class, the largest landlord in the country, and must be the biggest defender of the old class order."

"This is a typical geographical determinism. In fact, although the geographical environment is very important, it is not the only decisive factor. Cultural factors also have an important influence."

"..."

Many merchants in all dynasties looked at the giant screen in the sky and sighed in their hearts.

They recalled the oppression they had suffered in their respective dynasties.

As merchants, although they have some money, they are not very popular.

At the same time.

Many merchants have different thoughts in their hearts.

According to later generations, merchants can evolve into the bourgeoisie, initiate bourgeois revolutions, and become the masters of the country!

It is even possible to send the emperor to the guillotine like the Gallic Chicken Country.

But the premise of all this must be the start of the Industrial Revolution.

This brings about the continuous growth of merchants, oh no, the power of the bourgeoisie, which has the power to confront the imperial power head-on and even overwhelm the imperial power.

"The Industrial Revolution must be started!"

Some merchants have a gleam in their eyes. (To read the exciting novels, go to Feilu Novel Network!)

This is a light called "ambition".

...

【If you insist on expanding your capital and strength freely, you can only expand overseas with your existing strength. 】

【Whether it is the Maritime Silk Road that began in the Song Dynasty or the Chinese colonial expansion in Southeast Asia during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, they were all such attempts. 】

【For example, national celebrities such as "Lan Fang Republic" and "Zheng Yi Sao" have great momentum and powerful weapons overseas. 】

【But under the strong suppression of the imperial power to move the border and ban the sea, and to sweep away the Japanese pirates, they are far from being able to develop to a scale that can shake the imperial power. 】

【They can only tell their stories on the edge of the empire. 】

The bullet screen flew out:

"This Lan Fang Republic is okay. It is the first republic founded by overseas Chinese. It has existed for 110 years, which is not too short. Moreover, the country has an area of ​​700,000 square kilometers, which is not particularly small."

"The predecessor of the Lan Fang Republic was actually a trading company called the Lan Fang Company. It is also legendary to transform from a company into a country."

"This Lan Fang Republic is one of the earliest republican political systems. It once wrote to the Qing court, wanting to become a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, but was rejected by Qianlong."

"In fact, the country established by the Chinese in Southeast Asia at that time was not only the Lan Fang Republic. According to incomplete statistics, in addition to the Lan Fang Republic, there are more than ten other Chinese countries."

"..."

Looking at the content on the giant screen.

Many ancient people in all dynasties were shocked. []

Whether it was the transformation of the Lan Fang Republic from a company to a country, or the existence of many Chinese countries overseas in later generations, they were all surprised...

Among them.

Many businessmen from all dynasties were even more inspired.

They yearned for such deeds as the Lan Fang Republic!

……

[And the Industrial Revolution is also a class revolution of people. ]

[The necessary condition for entering the industrial age is that the capitalist class directly takes power. ]

[Obviously. ]

[In the face of the super-strong imperial power created by geographical advantages, ancient China wanted to complete the bourgeois revolution.Fate, it is impossible not to say. 】

【But it is much more difficult than Europe where "small countries are everywhere, imperial power is declining, and people's lives lack security and order". 】

【Therefore, if industry and commerce are developed without changing the imperial power system, the merchant capitalist class will not be able to obtain military and political power to maintain the new production relations. 】

……

The plane of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Shimin did not agree with the view on the giant screen at this time.

He completely disagreed with the point that "the necessary condition for entering the industrial age is that the capitalist class is directly in power".

In his opinion, under his leadership, the Tang Dynasty can also start the industrial revolution and enter the industrialized society.

And.

In the previous video, he also saw that when some Western countries started industrialization in later generations, monarchs also existed and still held great power.

This state was called a dual monarchy by later generations.

Since the monarchs of later generations can do it, there is no reason why he can't do it.

Let’s talk about it.

Even if other emperors can’t do it, he can definitely do it!

Li Shimin was extremely confident.

……

[In this way, the country will instead be divided into upper and lower interests. ]

[As a result, merchants and civil officials will weaken the country’s strength due to commercial interests, leading to the destruction of the country. ]

[Under the strong imperial power, emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce brought relative political stability and relative peace to the people. ]

[But peace and order also seriously weakened the motivation for change. ]

……

Many ancient political elites in all dynasties nodded in agreement.

National changes generally occur when danger occurs and order collapses.

Otherwise, few people would have the idea of ​​change.

After all, most people would feel that it is better to be still than to move.

……

[The development of civilization is like the evolution of life. 】

[It has no template, and you can't copy homework. 】

[The result of the combination of several accidental factors will never have a certain truth. 】

[And where is the future of mankind, how far is the next moment that determines our destiny, there is still no iron rule for us to judge. 】

[Everything that has happened is history. 】

[But when we read history, history is no longer real history. 】

[The data and stories in history books are like a kaleidoscope. If you turn the angle slightly, you will present a completely different picture. 】

[In the next video, we will see the inevitability of the industrial revolution in Western European countries. 】

……

After watching the conclusion of the video.

Many ancient people were quite interested in the next video mentioned by the people in the future.

They were also very curious about why the West started the industrial revolution earlier than China?

What a pity.

The following new video failed to satisfy the ancients’ wish of 3.9.

……

In the sky-high giant screen.

The video refreshed.

A new video appeared.

[The only country in the world that prints foreigners' portraits on its currency! ]

……

After the title of this video.

A preface soon appeared.

……

[Speaking of currency, it is a first-class important existence in all countries in the world. ]

[And those who can appear on the cover of a country's currency must be local figures who have made outstanding contributions to their country. ]

[The US dollar is printed with the founding father Washington, the British pound is printed with the Queen of England... Our Dragon Country is the same. ]

[It can be said that it is the supreme honor for a person's portrait to be printed on banknotes, and he must have made great contributions to the country to be qualified. ]

[However. ]

[There is such a country in the world that prints foreigners' portraits on its own currency. 】

【And it is worth noting that the person who was printed on the banknotes is a Chinese. 】

【Isn't it a bit unbelievable? 】

【Today, let's talk about the story of this overseas Chinese. 】

……

After watching the preface of this video.

Many ancient people in all dynasties have a great interest in the content of the following video.

In many previous videos, they have had a certain understanding of the currency of later generations.

They know that in later generations, the patterns on a country's banknotes are very particular.

It not only represents the image of the country, but also the value orientation of the country.

Generally speaking.

The patterns on the banknotes of various countries.

Either important leaders of this country.

Or outstanding figures who have made major contributions.

Or scenic spots with symbolic significance.

So, who is this overseas Chinese who can be printed on the currency of another country?

What great things did he do in which country?

The ancients were very curious. .