Chapter 667: Ninety-Nine Emperors, The Entire Army Advances North_2

Chapter 667: Chapter 275: Ninety-Nine Emperors, The Entire Army Advances North_2

This time, however, not many participated.

At first, Feng Yuantu was somewhat puzzled, but later, he began to grasp the essence of it.

In the eyes of some people, Chen Ping’s strategy of unified purchasing and selling, distributing rations based on population, seemed extremely vicious, but to the vast masses of people, it was a lifeline.

In the last years of Great Li, natural disasters were frequent: snow disasters, droughts, locusts, floods, landslides, earthquakes…

Each occurrence affected several provinces, displacing millions of people.

Moreover, these disasters had become increasingly frequent and lasted longer in recent years, steadily depleting the Vitality of the Great Li World.

It’s not that there was no food.

In the years of favorable weather, the national granaries and the hands of wealthy merchants and landlords still held enough grain for disaster relief. Although it might be difficult to ensure everyone ate their fill, keeping the people alive wasn’t overly challenging.

However, speaking again.

Since ancient times, it has been hard to part with wealth…

During years of great disaster, many took the opportunity to gain vast riches, while those who donated their wealth to save the world were as rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn’s horn, hardly to be seen.

“Pull out a hair and benefit the world, I shall not do it.”

That’s generally the sentiment.

Hence, those dying of drought perished, while those dying of floods were overjoyed.

The former truly died.

The latter were thrilled to death.

In such a situation, Chen Ping discovered that the speed at which the Vitality was gathering for his new dynasty wasn’t actually fast. Upon reflection, he quickly understood.

“It’s because the war ended too quickly, one battle to destroy the nation, directly beheading the enemy’s leaders, without much loss among the soldiers and the populace.”

“From a population perspective, it saved countless lives, but from a dynasty’s viewpoint, this actually isn’t a good thing.”

He had absorbed a lot of information in his past life, and his mind wasn’t particularly sharp back then, so he didn’t think too deeply about some things.

Now, with his cultivation achieved,

some knowledge naturally became clear to him, revealing the True Intent within.

Why every dynasty, after regime change, immediately ushers in a golden age.

Why, after a few hundred years, the world is once again in chaos.

In essence, it’s because productivity can’t keep up.

There are too many people to support.

Manifesting as land consolidation, survival of the fittest, rampant corruption, and vast gaps between rich and poor.

As Tang Wenzheng said,

Human nature values self-interest.

In human nature, there’s a desire to live a good life, which is essentially the pursuit of happiness.

Whether poor or wealthy, it’s the same for everyone.

So,

what is a good life, or even, what is happiness.

It is, in fact, a matter of comparison.

I can eat meat, you can only eat bran, I’m happier than you.

I earn ten thousand a month, you earn three thousand, I’m happier than you.

I have paper when using the toilet, you don’t, I’m happier than you.

I can lie down and enjoy, while you toil like an ox or horse, never getting rest; I’m happier than you.

This is what an ordinary person considers a good life.

Of course, some people think differently and don’t compare, but even if such people exist, unless life’s hardships have extinguished their passion, it stems from helplessness, the chance being one in a million, akin to saints, natural moral gentlemen.

In such circumstances, as long as the system’s restraints are lost, allowing the beast in everyone’s heart to be unleashed, naturally, the world collapses.

“In essence, it’s the lack of productivity, insufficient to let everyone live a life free from worry about food and clothing. Especially in years of great disaster, this is even more so. Human desires are endless, everyone wants their life to get better and better, so they can only exploit others and let them fend for themselves?”

Thus, Chen Ping deeply understood that due to his actions, too much population Vitality was retained during this regime change, depleting the country’s fortune significantly.

They can’t support so many people, so what to do?

According to humanitarian principles, it’s about letting the majority die to preserve the minority, to improve their lives.

This is the true reason why every dynasty is prosperous at its founding.

In war, the population dies off considerably, leaving so few that the accumulated wealth of the previous dynasty is enough to feed them well.

The elite can live comfortably, and the common folk can share a bit of broth without starving.

This is a golden age.

But if things are done according to the principles of the Way of Heaven, it’s different, bringing everyone to the same starting line, neither making me fat nor letting you starve.

Everyone drinks thin porridge, eats rough food, and weathers the hardship together.

Without disparity, there’s nothing to compare, so no one is happy, then everyone is happy…

The next step, then, is to improve productivity, to increase the abundance of materials until there’s no shortage.

As for how to enhance productivity?

That’s a difficult problem.

Chen Ping recalled several ways to increase crop yields, but relying solely on himself was difficult.

The next step is to gather wise individuals from across the land, especially experienced old farmers and craftsmen, to gradually replicate the precious knowledge from his memories.

It might not take long, even if natural disasters persist, to still produce abundant harvests.

Chen Ping is confident about this.

Of course, the biggest resistance at present isn’t from the improvement of productivity, but from the resistance of people’s hearts brought about by institutional changes.

No worries, with sharp enough weapons and enough trusted followers, as long as they can’t kill us, we’ll forge ahead to the death.