Tiantang Splendid

Chapter 5083 Production Relations
"productive forces?"

Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and pondered in silence. What his son said today sounded easy to understand, but when he thought about it carefully, every word was not simple.

“Productivity refers to the ability of human beings to transform and utilize nature to create social wealth. It is the decisive force that drives history forward. It is not only the basis for social existence and development, but also indicates the actual ability and level of human beings to transform nature.”

"Humanity?"

“Transforming and utilizing nature?”

Fang Xuanling stared, somewhat confused.

Regardless of whether he could understand it or not, Fang Jun continued: "Productivity has three basic elements: laborers, labor tools and labor objects. Laborers are people who have production experience and labor skills and can engage in labor in social production; labor tools are tools used by laborers to act on labor objects; and labor objects are the material materials that laborers process with labor tools."

Fang Xuanling: "..."

What holy book are you talking about?!
"The labor mutual assistance and cooperation relationship formed by workers in the process of producing and creating material and spiritual civilization products is called production relations. The means of production indicate the level of productivity, the level of productivity determines the production relations, and the economic base determines the superstructure."

Fang Jun talked freely.

Fang Xuanling was completely confused. Whether it was "material civilization" or "spiritual civilization", it was the first time he heard such words. Although they were unfamiliar, with his intelligence, he could understand their meaning after a little thought.

But it was difficult to understand what production relations and economic foundation were…

"What I want to do is to improve Datang's productivity, change Datang's production relations, thereby consolidating Datang's economic foundation and completely changing Datang's national system!"

Comparing the two, Fang Xuanling could barely understand: "What kind of national system?"

Fang Jun vowed with great confidence: "State capitalism!"

Fang Xuanling: "...You go out first and let me be quiet for a while."

……

Princess Gaoyang changed into a light gauze dress after bathing. She was sitting at the dressing table applying skin care ointment on her face when she saw Fang Jun walk in triumphantly. She asked in surprise, "Weren't you chatting with father? You came back so soon."

I have seen fathers and sons with good relationships, but it is rare to see such tacit understanding and affinity between Fang Xuanling and Fang Jun, who are like close friends.

After all, people in the world value "grandchildren rather than children", and the relationship between grandchildren and grandchildren is the real relationship...

So usually when the father and son were chatting they would inadvertently forget the time and would chat for an hour at a time. But today they only chatted for a short while, which was a bit surprising.

Fang Jun chuckled and walked forward to stand behind Princess Gaoyang. He dipped some ointment from the porcelain bottle with his right hand, rubbed his hands together evenly, and applied it carefully and gently on her fair and delicate neck, massaging at the same time.

"My father is probably getting old, and now he likes to teach me more. He teaches me whenever he gets the chance. I just gave him a difficult question, and he probably won't bother me for ten days or eight days."

What are "productive forces", "production relations" and "capitalism"? Even people in later generations who have received a complete education may not be able to explain them clearly, let alone the people of the Tang Dynasty.

Furthermore, these things are of no use to the current Tang Dynasty. Neither the Political Affairs Hall nor the Grand Council can truly change the imperial system.

If the Tang Dynasty wanted to develop true capitalism, it would need at least fifty years of accumulation in a state of rapid progress.

There is still a long way to go...

Princess Gaoyang didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Are you crazy? You are an unfilial son for making things difficult for your father like this!"

Fang Jun looked at the beautiful face in the mirror. The hand that was applying ointment on her neck involuntarily slid along the collar of her clothes and grasped a soft and plump flesh. He leaned over to her crystal-clear ear and blew gently.

"Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and filial. Since I am not filial, I will serve Your Highness with all my strength!"

Princess Gaoyang felt weak all over, and leaned back in her husband's arms, her eyes like water and her breath like orchid, and she panted softly, "You are not so loyal to the queen, are you?"

Unexpectedly, the young man was neither embarrassed nor angry, but was very excited. He didn't say a word but kept moving...

Princess Gaoyang was immediately ashamed and annoyed. She gritted her teeth and cursed in a low voice: "You treacherous minister, you really have coveted the queen!"

Soon she found that Fang Jun had picked her up and was walking towards the bedroom. She screamed and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, saying coquettishly, "Stop it first and explain what happened!"

Fang Jun continued, laughing, "Since I am a treacherous minister, I will first destroy you, the princess!"

"Hehe, haven't you ruined enough princesses?"

"Your Highness, are you willing to be abused by me?"

"Don't even think about it!"

……

In the middle of the night, the breeze brought coolness, the stars and the moon disappeared, and a light rain fell. The rain washed the branches and leaves of the flowers and trees in the courtyard, and dripped from the trembling leaves to moisten the soil.

*****
A cyclone hit the Lingayen Gulf.

After the hurricane, Zhang Liang, dressed in an official robe and surrounded by his attendants, inspected the newly built port and found that the damage was not serious and many facilities had been put into use. The cargo ships that had been gathered in the port to avoid the hurricane came to the dock one after another, and the cargo on the ship was unloaded with cranes and transported to the warehouse by horse-drawn carriages.

The muddy ground could not stop the natives of Luzon. Countless natives came to the market near the dock to buy Tang goods or sell Luzon specialties. The payment for purchases was mostly in gold, while the payment for selling specialties was in the form of Tang's "Kaiyuan Tong Bao".

However, the natives and chiefs of Luzon Island did not care about these things. The island was rich in gold, and a vein of gold could be found anywhere in the mountains. Over the centuries, each tribe had accumulated a large amount of gold. But when everyone had gold, gold could no longer be exchanged for anything...

Fortunately, the Tang people came.

The Tang people brought exquisite porcelain, gorgeous silk, and crystal glass, each of which amazed the indigenous chiefs and they worshipped them as if they were divine objects.

As for the pure white paper, it had no market in Luzon at first. The natives would not buy it, and would not even accept it if it was given to them for free, because... they had no written language.

But later, Tang scholars began to build schools and teach writing on the island, which attracted the natives. The chiefs even sent all their children and grandchildren to schools to learn Chinese characters, speak Chinese, and read Chinese books, because every year there would be a big exam in the school, and those with excellent results would get the opportunity to study in the Tang Dynasty.

That’s the Tang Dynasty!

The legendary fairyland with towering city walls and prosperous and beautiful scenery!

How many gods must a "savage" who was born in the mountains and jungles and lived with poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts have to worship to receive such a blessing?
As a result, both white paper and various books were popular in Luzon.

Zhang Liang was quite speechless about this. Those officials of the "Tang Dynasty Culture Revitalization Association" used all kinds of rhetoric to deceive the natives. The books they promoted were limited to classics, history, poetry, and prose. In the private schools, they only taught books like "Three Character Classic", "Records of the Grand Historian", and "Spring and Autumn Annals". There were no subjects such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

In Zhang Liang's opinion, this is absolutely correct.

Standing outside the bustling market, looking back at the crowded ships in the harbor not far away, Zhang Liang deeply understands: Confucianism cannot build warships, let alone firearms, but it can enable the natives to learn "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness" and "gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality and humility", and not to fight and kill all day long. They should cherish life, value life, work hard to improve their personal cultivation, and "love the world."

Under the leadership of Datang, we will enter a happy life together...

The tribal conflicts that used to occur frequently on Luzon Island have gradually disappeared. Everyone is learning the rules taught by the Tang people and trying to negotiate as much as possible. When they cannot reach an agreement, they try to find Tang officials to resolve the dispute instead of going to war as they did in the past.

Once the two parties reach a settlement, the Tang army stationed in Lingayen Gulf will be responsible for supervising its implementation. If one party breaks the contract and goes back on its word, the Tang army will strike it hard.

Therefore, the natives are becoming more and more aware of the rules. Many people even bought a copy of "Zhenguan Law" and hired a Tang translator to interpret it one by one...

Nowadays, the natives are even more aware of the importance of population. They no longer fight and kill each other, but honestly farm and mine, sell food and minerals to the Tang people, buy all kinds of rare and useful daily necessities, and then try hard to have children.

With more children, we can plant more crops, mine more, buy more good things from the Tang people, and live a happier life...

For Zhang Liang, this was an absolutely new world, completely different from the expansion of territory he had in mind.

The Royal Navy did not care about occupying land at all, because the limited Tang army could not protect every inch of occupied land. Instead of investing troops in battles against indigenous resistance again and again, it would be better to "support the weak and suppress the strong" according to the different strengths of local tribes, so that the Tang army would always be in a position of being "needed" and invincible.

The real purpose is crazy dumping.

Any handicrafts produced within the borders of the Tang Dynasty would be transported out by maritime merchants and dumped to every place along the route at ten or even a hundred times the price, in exchange for gold, silver, and all kinds of precious materials.

The wealth of the Tang Dynasty showed an explosive growth trend.

If this continues for ten or a hundred years, the entire world's wealth will be plundered by the Tang Dynasty. By that time, which country in the world can challenge the authority of the Tang Dynasty?

The navy is doing a great thing that will benefit the present and future generations.

Of course, Zhang Liang would never express even the slightest bit of affection for the navy.

In the port not far away, a fleet of more than ten warships was slowly approaching the port. The white sails were particularly eye-catching against the blue sky and blue sea, like flying seagulls.

Not long after, a strong young general wearing a helmet and armor came quickly and saluted: "I am Xi Junmai, and I am honored to meet you, the Governor!"

Zhang Liang responded with a disapproving "hmm".

There was no way. From the moment he set foot on the land of Luzon Island, he realized that although he was called the governor, he could not even mobilize a single warship of the navy. As a frontier official, a governor of a region, he was like a prisoner trapped on an island, restricted in every way.

How could I possibly have a good impression of the navy?