Daming 1805

Chapter 506 France is France, Ming is Ming.

At the Palais Royale in Paris, France, King Louis Charles of France, Queen Liu Muyu of France, the couple and their four children had dinner together.

Then several children were handed over to the maids and teachers to take them to study, Louis XVII read the news reported by various parties, and Liu Muyu flipped through today's newspapers.

The husband and wife exchange a few words from time to time, and mention what they see that needs to be told to each other, or what needs to be consulted by the other party.

Daming's new calendar has been a hot topic these days, and Liu Muyu saw related interpretations again today.

Then Liu Muyu said to her husband with some uncertainty:
"Charles, this newspaper seems to be saying that the Egyptian solar calendar that Daming's new solar calendar refers to has nothing to do with Taixi's original calendar..."

Charles, that is, Louis XVII, put down the documents in his hand and asked with a smile:

"Then dear, do you think it has nothing to do with the truth?"

Liu Muyu also smiled and said:
"I think there must be a little bit, at least there should be reference and inspiration.

"After all, Taixi's calendar is there, and the intellectuals of Ming Dynasty have a basic understanding of this set.

"Senior officials and His Majesty the Emperor will definitely refer to various existing materials when making decisions.

"Taixi has suitable techniques and methods, and the people of Daming will not resist it.

"Using a unified number to count the year since the first emperor unified the world is obviously the same method as Taixi began to use a pure number to count the year from the legendary Christmas year.

"The ten days in the lower solar calendar are the main time node, which is also similar to the seven-day week of the Thais.

"It's just that His Majesty always pursues simplicity and convenience in doing things. Seeing the Taixi people's chaotic big and small months and February, the messy monthly and separate special names for each day, and the number of seven days that does not go up or down, I must feel uncomfortable.

"So Daming has fixed 30 days per month, ten days per ten days, and all the years, months and days are numbered with numbers, which is extremely concise.

"However, most of the writers in the newspapers are vehemently denying this.

"Only a small number of newspapers recognize this, but it has also been criticized by other newspapers..."

Charles sighed softly and said:
"Because today's Thais are conceited and have low self-esteem.

"They are eager to find traces of Ming people learning from Taixi, and at the same time they have strict requirements on the depth of this learning.

"There are also severe divisions in views and ideas between different social groups.

"Some people believe that as long as Da Ming has a little sign that he may use and refer to the technology discovered by Taixi in a certain aspect, that is the evidence that Daming learned from Taixi.

"The other part of the people is tit-for-tat. Daming refers to Taixi's affairs. As long as there is a little change, as long as it is not completely copied, this kind of matter has nothing to do with Taixi.

"For example, the current calendar, and the tall palace not long ago, and the concrete building even earlier.

"The perception of these matters is different, and there are strong differences in both the newspapers and the people.

"There are people who can look at it calmly, but those who look at it calmly may be targeted by people from both sides at the same time.

"Fortunately, these circumstances have not affected the government for the time being.

"But it is foreseeable that there will definitely be an impact in the future."

Liu Muyun put down the newspaper:

"So, this time, with Ming's new calendar and new holiday system, should France continue to learn?

"A six-day holiday for the whole people every month within ten years should not be possible given the current situation in France..."

Charles nodded slightly:

"It's really difficult, France's overall technical level is still far behind that of Daming.

"France also has fewer mineral resource materials than Ming Dynasty, and the actual resource cost is higher.

"France's factories and workers still have a clear gap with Daming in terms of the quantity of goods produced in the same period of time.

"Conversely, France and Ming Dynasty produce the same goods, France takes more time, consumes more resources, and spends more manpower.

"Under such circumstances, if French workers pursue the same holidays and wage income as Daming people.

"It will make the cost of things produced in France far exceed that of similar products produced in Ming Dynasty.

"That would make French goods completely uncompetitive in international trade.

"Without international competitiveness, there is no way to earn foreign exchange.

"There is no way to continue to introduce new technologies, and there is no way to improve production efficiency.

"There is no way to reduce production costs, and there is no way to improve product competitiveness.

"There is no way to give workers more time and money to spend, and the market cannot circulate.

"It's a constant cycle.

"Once a link slips, it will become a vicious circle, and the distance from Daming will grow wider and wider.

"And in this cycle process, among the factors that can affect the cost of products, whether it is production time or input raw materials and resources, they are all factors that are artificially greatly reduced by objective methods.

"Unless the quality of the product is also greatly reduced.

"What we can actually artificially compress is workers' wages and rest time.

"So as a latecomer country, if you want to catch up with a technologically advanced country, the only way is to tighten your belt and work hard..."

Liu Muyu and her husband often discuss politics.

Now the Ming Dynasty does not restrict the harem from intervening in politics, and Taixi has no tradition that the harem is not allowed to intervene in politics.

The queen herself is also the monarch of the country.

The two came from two completely different environments, and they are both high-achieving students in their own countries. Collisions of thinking often occur.

Liu Muyu listened to her husband's nagging, or complaining and complaining, so she couldn't help saying another thought:
"Actually... actually there is another possibility, right?
“That is, not participating in extensive international trade, or participating only through bartering.

"Use the remaining domestic industrial and agricultural products to exchange technology and required materials with other countries.

"At the same time, explore and improve the production technology of the country by itself, and simultaneously improve the consumption level of the country.

"Then there is no need to make people live harder than other countries...

"However... then it will be difficult to catch up with the technologically advanced countries..."

After hearing this, Charles couldn't help nodding:
"Yes, if not dealing with other countries, or in a time when the world market was not connected, in the old days of classical agriculture.

"Any country that is self-sufficient in food can live by itself behind closed doors and figure out its own way of life.

"But not now.

"There is a more advanced benchmark there, and there is a certain correct direction that has been explored by others.

"If we refuse to follow, refuse to learn, and continue to explore on our own, the development cost will definitely be higher than others.

"That way, not to mention getting closer to Daming, it will only make us fall further and further behind.

"Energy is conserved, if you want to shorten the distance with the forerunner, you must pay more.

"Someone has to pay, and enough people have to pay more, either farmers or workers or both.

"To be precise, the pursuer has to spend more than the pioneer needs to maintain the state to catch up.

"It's not the price the other side needs to get to where they are.

"In general, because the pioneers have already figured out the way, the pursuit of the pursuit of the same level of the pioneers will definitely cost less than the pioneers.

"The cost spent by the pioneers in the exploration process can be saved by us as the chasers.

"This is also the basic logic of why the chasers can catch up with the pioneers, otherwise our efforts will be meaningless.

"In fact, people in Ming Dynasty have more holidays, and workers in Ming Dynasty get more wages. This is an opportunity for us in France.

"We can use the rest time of Ming people to study and work, and use the money that Ming spends on entertainment to buy new technologies and materials.

"In this way, the possibility of us catching up with Da Ming will be higher, and the speed of catching up with Da Ming will be faster.

"After we equalize Daming, our people will no longer have to work hard.

"In the final analysis, it is Daming who has worked hard before and has the leading advantage now.

"And we in France have wasted a lot of time and cost, and now we have to make up for the lack.

"The current generation is working hard to repay the debt of the predecessors who didn't work hard."

Shire has been the real king for several years, and the de facto king for more than ten years, and his way of thinking has become clearer.

What Charles said is a matter of course. As long as people with a normal mind observe and summarize more, they can always understand these things slowly.

These principles are also applicable in Zhu Jingyuan's previous life, otherwise it would be impossible for one's own country to catch up with others' accumulation of 70 years in 200 years.

But in this world, in Louis Shire's current life, it may not actually be useful.

Because there are two hangers-on, Emperor Guangwu and Zhu Jingyuan.

Daming's technological iteration speed is also the speed of "chasers", not the speed of explorers.

Especially since the computer has been developed by Zhu Jingyuan, Daming's lead may not only not be shortened, but may even become bigger and bigger.

In fact, according to the experience of Zhu Jingyuan's later generations, instead of trying to catch up, a country like France should just lie down and let it be ridiculed.

Although it is difficult to catch up with Daming in terms of material level, it is not difficult to make life simple and happy.

Liu Muyu also felt that what Charles said was very reasonable, and these directions and logics were also discussed by the two of them.

Then Liu Muyu subconsciously asked another question:
"Then now, should France continue to learn from Ming's new policy?"

Charles nodded very firmly and said:

"Of course, you still have to learn. Your Majesty's thinking is undoubtedly correct.

"Consumption and production must increase simultaneously, otherwise either production capacity will stagnate, or products will not be sold, and technological development will stagnate.

"So while catching up with Ming Dynasty's productivity, we must also work hard to improve the consumption power of the French people.

"But we also have to learn from our actual situation.

"Emperor Shizu Guangwu said that the first principle of government is to seek truth from facts.

"There are no two identical leaves, and no two identical countries.

"Daming has the situation of Ming Dynasty, and France has the situation of France.

"Our production level is lower than that of Ming Dynasty, so the demand for consumption capacity is relatively low, and it can be relatively low.

"But it can't be improved!
"Da Ming's goal is to achieve six-day holidays for all people every month within ten years.

"We can set a goal of achieving four days of holidays a month for all people within ten years.

"As for the minimum wage standard, it can also be lowered compared to Daming.

"Generally speaking, it is catching up with Daming in terms of thinking, but in terms of strength, it is in line with the actual situation of the country."

Although France is now known as the Taixi Xiaoming Country, it is a representative of the system that fully imitates and learns from the Ming Dynasty.

But King Charles himself knew very well that France and Ming were different.

It is impossible for France to completely copy the Ming system.

A complete enlightenment without really considering the status quo will not actually be completely enlightened.

Only by gradually advancing system reforms according to the actual situation is it possible to truly realize the direction of Ming Dynasty.

Liu Muyu also nodded as a matter of course:
"Well, it should be so, Your Majesty, you have always insisted on this.

"But what about the new calendar? I just saw that some newspapers advocated the simultaneous use of the new solar calendar of Ming Dynasty.

"The calendar before the Ming Dynasty was too complicated, the ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty were very confused, and the people in Taixi couldn't understand it at all.

"That's something our royal family and the court couldn't learn if they wanted to, so we didn't copy the Ming calendar before.

"The new solar calendar announced by Ming Dynasty is similar to Taixi's current Gregorian calendar, but it is simpler and more accurate.

"So the difficulty of switching to the past now should not be too big..."

Charles licked his beard slightly when he heard this:
"It can indeed be learned, and it has certain practical significance to completely exclude the religious factors attached to the Gregorian calendar.

"It's just that... the first day of the first month of the Ming Dynasty's new calendar is more than a month behind the Gregorian calendar. There may be another April Fool's Day."

Liu Muyu couldn't help laughing when she heard this.

The last time France changed its calendar, the new year was moved from April [-] to January [-].

Later, there was a legend that a group of conservatives refused to change the calendar and still celebrated the New Year on April [-]st.

As a result, many reformers celebrated the New Year on January [-], and deliberately held a fake party on April [-] to invite conservatives.

After the other party went there and found that there was no banquet, I realized that I had been cheated.

Later, April [-]st became April Fool's Day.

The authenticity of this kind of story cannot be tested, but it is conceivable that all kinds of chaos may occur when the time of the new year is changed.

However, with Shire's current ability to control France, if he directly uses Daming's new solar calendar, there will be no chaos.

At most, it's just another April Fool's Day, mocking a wave of old conservatives.

Liu Muyu also knew the situation in France, and knew that her husband was also capable, so she didn't continue to intervene on this issue.

Then Liu Muyu changed to a topic more suitable for the royal family:

"There is also the coronation ceremony of the new British King George IV. The British are definitely going to hold a large-scale ship review.

"It stands to reason that the King of England is equal to us, and we should both be present.

"However, the enthronement ceremony of His Majesty the Ming Emperor was less than forty days away from the coronation of the King of England.

"As both of us, we should both attend His Majesty's coronation ceremony.

“In this way, the time is very tight.

"However, the situation in other countries in Taixi is the same, countries like Lucia and Austria are even more troublesome.

"We can get in touch, the royal families of various countries have finished attending the coronation ceremony of the British king and the ship review ceremony, and then go directly to Daming together.

"The royal families and fleets of all countries are moving together, and the entire journey is time for diplomatic activities..."

Charles thought about it for a while, smiled and nodded slightly and said:
"I think it's okay, then we will leave it to Madam to arrange our itinerary..."

(End of this chapter)