Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 241 The Importance of Lizhou

After agreeing to Wang Dayuan's request, Lu Jin immediately turned around, picked up the rag, and wiped the map off the blackboard.

Wang Dayuan was stunned by this action, "Hey, my lord, what are you doing?"

Lu Jin pointed to his head and said, "The maps are all in my mind. I can draw them anytime. Besides, this map is just something I drew casually. It is not accurate and cannot be used for navigation. If you want to draw an accurate map, you must use a ruler and compass."

"So that's how it is." Wang Dayuan suddenly realized.

After wiping the blackboard, Lu Jin turned around and looked at the three people and warned them again.

"This world map and the affairs of Lizhou must not be revealed to anyone outside this door without my permission, not even to your parents, wife, or children."

Wang Dayuan frowned, "Why is that? Besides, the lord wants to send me to Lizhou. This will require a lot of manpower and resources, and it is impossible to conceal it. It will definitely be known to others."

Lu Jin said, "Do you remember what I just told you about the situation in Lizhou?"

The three of them nodded. After all, Lu Jin had just finished speaking, so how could he forget it so quickly?

Lu Jin continued, "Lizhou is tens of thousands of miles wide, with fertile land and abundant products. Northern Lizhou is full of barbarian tribes, without even a city-state or small country. Central Lizhou does have a few city-states, but the people there are only tens of thousands, and they are ignorant, backward and barbaric. Only three thousand soldiers are needed to easily sweep across Lizhou.

"However, such a continent is unknown to outsiders. Now, besides me, you three are the only ones in the world who know about Lizhou. This is simply a land without a master given by God."

"."

Hearing what Lu Jin said, the three of them were stunned. They looked at each other, and Wang Dayuan said, "The Marshal wants to incorporate Lizhou into China's territory?"

"Yes, is it not possible?" Lu Jin nodded and admitted it straightforwardly.

According to Lu Jin's description, Lizhou is tens of thousands of miles wide, but there is no powerful country, and it is unknown to outsiders, so no other country will compete with China for it. It can indeed be easily occupied. They seem to have no reason to refute it, but.
Wang Dayuan immediately raised a question, "But Lizhou is tens of thousands of miles away from China. Even if it can be easily occupied, how can the court govern it?"

Lu Jin waved his hand, "Don't worry about that for now. What I want to say is, have you ever thought about the issues of land, food and population? During the time of Duke Zhou, the so-called Huaxia was only Guanlong, Shangluo and Shanxi. The staple food was corn, and the population was only two to three million.

"Afterwards, the Zhou emperor granted fiefs to the princes, and the princes and their people went to all directions, worked hard to open up wasteland and cultivate land, and converted the barbarians to Chinese. By the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the Chinese population exceeded 10 million.

"During the Qin and Han dynasties, the invention of stone mills made wheat easier to eat, so wheat was promoted in the north and rice was widely grown in the south. In addition, the country was unified and there were no more disputes among nations, so the population was able to grow steadily. During the peak period of the Han Dynasty, the population of China had exceeded 60 million.

"During the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, China's staple food remained the same as during the Han Dynasty, but more land was reclaimed and the south of the Yangtze River was greatly developed. Suzhou, Hangzhou and Yangzhou rose to prominence during the Tang Dynasty. At that time, most of the food consumed in Chang'an was transported from the south of the Yangtze River. By then, China's population had finally reached 90 million, but it was still a step away from breaking 100 million.

"As for the Former Song Dynasty, although the Former Song Dynasty only had half of the country, and after Jingkang, it was even more confined to the south of the Yangtze River, but it introduced early-maturing rice varieties from Champa, and the warm places in the south could even harvest two crops a year. The population of China finally exceeded 100 million. At the peak of the Former Song Dynasty, the population was about 130 million.

"After the Mongols came to rule the Central Plains, they did all kinds of perverse things, returning farmland to pasture everywhere in the land cultivated by the Han people. In addition, they often massacred cities, and the natural and man-made disasters in recent years, the current population of the country is only more than 80 million.

"Then I will ask you a question. If the new dynasty can unify the nine provinces and drive the Tartars out of the Great Wall, and if there is no new grain, let's take the former Song Dynasty as an example. How many people do you think the nine provinces can support?"

Lu Jin's analysis was refreshing to the three people. They had never studied the relationship between land, staple food and population in China's dynasties. After hearing Lu Jin's analysis, the three people thought about it, and Meng Zhifang immediately gave an arbitrary answer.

"The former Song Dynasty was only in the south of the Yangtze River, with only half of the country. But according to the Marshal, the former Song Dynasty had Champa rice, so it could harvest twice a year and had a population of 130 million. If it could unify the Nine Provinces, assuming the land was doubled, the Nine Provinces should be able to support about 260 million people."

Wang Dayuan countered, "The north cannot grow double-season rice, so the population it can support should not be as large as that in the south. I think 200 million is a more reasonable number."

Lu Jin nodded, "It's about the same. If we only have the Kyushu area, it shouldn't be a problem to reach a population of 220 to 30 million. If we also occupy the Liaodong area, the population should be able to easily exceed 300 million.

"Then there is a new question. In the world today, the area around Taihu Lake in eastern Zhejiang has the highest yield per mu of double-season rice, which can reach 500 to 600 kilograms per mu. If Mr. Huanzhang brings back the corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes I mentioned, which can produce 1,000 kilograms per mu, how much will the population of our Chinese people increase?"

"This..." The three of them thought about it after hearing it, and were immediately shocked by this possibility.

Meng Zhifang hesitated and said, "If we only count the areas within the Great Wall, and the land area remains the same, and the grain yield per mu doubles, then the population will also double, so wouldn't it be 400 to 600 million people?!"

When this number was mentioned, the three of them were shocked. Although they didn't know where Lu Jin's population figures for each dynasty came from, given their rigorous attitude towards Lu Jin's work, they believed that this number could not be false.

If Lu Jin's deduction is followed, with the support of high-yield grain varieties, the population may really reach this terrifying number.

Lu Jin nodded again and then continued.

"It's about the same. If we only take the interior of the country, we still have a population of 400 to 500 million. If we can also include the fertile land of Liaodong, the population should easily reach 600 to 700 million.

"Zhi Fang is the best math student among my students. You should know that the larger the base number, the faster the growth will be, even if the growth rate remains unchanged.

"With a population of 600 million, even if half are men and half are women, and 300 million are women, and half of the old and weak are removed, there are 150 million women of childbearing age. Even if these women do not always give birth, let's say 30%, then there are 50 million newborns each year. If we deduct the number of people who die of old age each year, and assume 20 million deaths a year, there is still a net population growth rate of 30 million per year.

"One Qin and Han dynasty is born every year, one prosperous Tang dynasty is born every three years, and one early Song dynasty is born every four years. Moreover, as the population grows, when the base number reaches 800 million or 900 million, the speed will accelerate again, because more women will participate in childbirth. I think it is possible that the net population will increase by 50 million per year.

"Then the question is, how much food do you think is needed to feed so many people? What if there is not enough land?"

Wang Dayuan and the other two were stunned, their mouths wide open, like toads struck by lightning. In the Confucian concept, population growth has always been a symbol of peace and prosperity, because this can only happen when there is no war at home or abroad, no natural disasters or man-made disasters, and good harvests year after year. Isn't this a prosperous age?
But they had never thought that one day they would encounter the problem of insufficient land and food due to too large a population and too fast a growth rate. Especially as Lu Jin described, one year gave birth to a Qin and Han dynasty, three years gave birth to a prosperous Tang dynasty, and four years gave birth to an early Song dynasty. This growth rate sounded too terrifying.

However, you just can't find any fault with it and have no way to refute it because Lu Jin's reasoning logic is very rigorous.

According to the land area and grain output, as long as the world is peaceful, even in the event of some natural disasters, the population will inevitably grow to 600 million to 700 million. Then according to the mathematical model given by Lu Jin, if there are half men and half women, and the elderly and weak who cannot bear children are eliminated, and all women of childbearing age are counted as only 30%, the population can still reach tens of millions a year. This sounds very reasonable, and you can't find any fault with it. How can you refute it?

But if the future really develops as Lu Jin said, and the population continues to multiply without restraint, won’t humanity eventually destroy itself?
Wang Dayuan shuddered when he thought of this. "This, this, this, this, my lord, this statement is really too sensational."

Lu Jin spread his hands, "Didn't I calculate it wrong? Didn't you just say that Jiuzhou can support 200 million people? If we have a grain variety that can produce 1,000 kilograms per mu, what's the problem with doubling the population? If we have 600 million people, what's the problem with giving birth to tens of millions of people a year?"

Wang Dayuan wanted to refute, but he couldn't find any reason, so he could only ask, "Then according to what the lord said, if they continue to multiply like this, won't the people of the world eventually perish?"

Lu Jin immediately said seriously, "I don't know whether mankind will perish, but I know that if Confucianism continues to govern the world, before the day of human extinction, Confucianism and the world governed by Confucianism will be destroyed first, and the country will perish, but the Chinese people and the descendants of Yan and Huang will not.

"Why? Because with the ability of Confucianism, it is simply not possible to feed the large population I mentioned. Even if you bring back high-yield and high-quality seeds, when the population reaches about 500 million, the people will suffer from famine due to poor land and insufficient food. Natural disasters will kill a large number of people. The people cannot afford to feed their children and will drown their newborn babies. Then the starving people will gather together to rebel and overthrow this country that cannot feed them.

"Do you think what I said is right? Throughout the Chinese dynasties, every unified dynasty that had no external enemies eventually ended up being destroyed because of domestic famine and rebellion by hungry people."

Wang Dayuan frowned, as if he understood something of Lu Jin's meaning, "Then according to what the lord said, if we don't use Confucianism to rule the world, can we avoid this outcome?
"Since the Qin and Han dynasties, dynasties have risen and fallen. The Zhou dynasty lasted only 700 years, the Qin and Sui dynasties both perished in the second generation, the two Han dynasties together lasted 400 years, and even the most powerful Tang dynasty lasted less than 300 years. It's just that destiny has changed and the divine tools have been replaced. Even if we don't use Confucianism, I don't think we can necessarily transcend it."

"What a bullshit that destiny has changed. Confucians should just say they have no ability. It is a great honor to admit one's mistakes and improve oneself. Do not blame God for your own mistakes. God will not take the blame for Confucianism. Confucius would not even bother to have such disciples who are so irresponsible." Lu Jin cursed immediately.

Wang Dayuan's eyelids twitched when he heard this, and he asked, "Could it be that what I said is wrong?"

Lu Jin turned back to the blackboard and tapped it, then said, "My family Gongshu is good at craftsmanship, and our ancestor Gongshu Ban is even regarded as the ancestor of all craftsmen. You all know this, right?"

All three nodded.

Lu Jin continued, "Then let's look at history from the perspective of craftsmanship, or in other words, from the perspective of science and technology. I divide human society into several stages based on the level of development of science and technology. In ancient times, people did not know how to make metallurgy. Even during the time of Yan and Huang, people used stone and wooden tools. Is that right?"

"That's right." Wang Dayuan nodded. He could understand and acknowledge this.

Lu Jin continued, "After the Stone Age, there was the Pottery Age, when people mastered the use of fire. After the Pottery Age, there was the Bronze Age, which was a fusion of copper, lead, and tin. The ancients called it Jijin. It was not until the Han Dynasty that we officially entered the Iron Age. Then the Han Dynasty abolished all schools of thought and respected Confucianism alone. There was no further progress in the next two thousand years, right?"

Wang Dayuan frowned again when he heard this and said, "I admit that there has been no further progress since the Iron Age, but what does this have to do with Confucianism?"

Lu Jin suddenly said at this time.

"Let's go back to Lizhou. According to the above technological division, do you know which era Lizhou is in?"

"Which era?" Yu Tongyuan asked curiously.

Lu Jin tapped the blackboard. "The descendants of Chiyou have been trapped in the Stone Age since they migrated from Jiuzhou to Lizhou. For thousands of years, they still can't build cars or smelt copper and iron. They are still the same as in ancient times. Although they don't just hunt and gather, they can also farm crops, but their agricultural skills are at most at the level of Yanhuang era. Think about it, they don't even have oxen and iron plows, how advanced can they be?"

The three were shocked when they heard this, "Lizhou is so backward?"

Lu Jin nodded, "That's why I said just now that only 3,000 soldiers are needed to sweep across Lizhou. They don't have oxen, let alone horses. Without horses, there are no cavalry. They can't smelt copper and iron, and they can't make metal weapons and armor. With such a group of barbarians who don't have iron armor and are still using bone and stone spears, I think Tongyuan can lead a thousand soldiers to destroy the Maya nation."

"."

Yu Tongyuan was speechless. Even if he won against such an opponent, there was nothing to be proud of.
Lu Jin then said, "Back to the previous question, population growth, technological cage, and Lizhou, these three issues need to be looked at together.

"You know, every time I read history books, the China I see is exactly the same as Lizhou, except that Lizhou is trapped in the Stone Age and has not made any progress for thousands of years. Isn't it the same for China under Confucian governance, trapped in the Iron Age and has not made any progress for thousands of years?"

When Wang Dayuan heard Lu Jin say this, he wanted to refute immediately, but Lu Jin pressed his hand to tell him not to say anything and continued.

"Mr. Huanzhang just asked me, if we don't use Confucianism to manage the population growth problem, can we get rid of this outcome? I said yes, at least I, Gongshu, can.

“If I were allowed to govern the country, I would first include Lizhou in my territory. Tens of thousands of miles of fertile land is a gift from heaven and has no owner. Since I obviously have the ability, why don’t I take it.

"If you don't take what God has given you, you will be blamed; if you don't take it when the time comes, you will suffer the consequences. If you can take it now but don't, others will find out and take it away first. Two or three hundred years later, if future generations know about it, they will drag us out of our graves and whip our corpses! Why didn't you leave these lands to future generations?
"Speaking of technical issues, my favorite poem is by Cheng Zi of the Song Dynasty: "How can a stream be so clear? It is only because it comes from the source." This poem is also applicable to Confucianism. In today's China, I can only smell a rotten stench that is so foul that it is unbearable to smell.

"Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty abolished all schools of thought and promoted Confucianism alone, Confucianism has become less and less motivated to make progress. Thousands of years ago, Confucianists knew how to absorb the essence of all schools of thought into Confucianism and use it themselves, but nowadays, I only see people standing still.

"Let's talk about the art of farming. Over the past thousands of years, has Confucianism made any progress or research?"

Wang Dayuan had not known how to refute before, but when he heard Lu Jin mention agricultural technology, he immediately refuted, "Of course there is no such thing. In the distant past, there was Qi Min Yao Shu, and in recent times, there are two works, Nong Sang Ji Yao and Wang Zhen Nong Shu. Isn't this considered progress and research?"

"Oh..." Lu Jin sneered, "That's it? The world is divided into yin and yang, heaven and earth, day and night, people are divided into men and women, animals are divided into male and female, but plants are also divided into male and female, rice and wheat are also divided into male and female, farmers in the pre-Qin period knew these things, do any Confucian scholars today know them? Agricultural and Sang Ji wants something like that, is it worthy of being called research?
"So if you say that Confucianism is incompetent, don't talk about destiny. If the Hundred Schools of Thought had not been abolished, the Agricultural School would still exist. Maybe today we would have been able to cultivate rice and wheat with a yield of thousands of kilograms per mu. Just because you Confucianists can't do something doesn't mean other schools can't do it either."

Wang Dayuan's eyes suddenly widened.

(End of this chapter)