Ning JaeHee wrote a letter to Emperor Zongshen in four years, and the excerpt is as follows:
The survival of a country is the depth of morality, not the strength; The reason why calendars are long and short lies in the thickness of customs, regardless of wealth. Morality is sincere, and customs are sincere. Although poor and weak, it does no harm to long-term existence. Shallow morality, thin customs, although rich and powerful, can't be saved.
I think that in the Northern Song Dynasty, what is needed is a practical way to enrich Qiang Bing, not just to emphasize the role of morality. Although the system reform in Wang Anshi's political reform itself has many unreasonable points, it is still a constructive plan on the whole.
One hypothesis is that if Wang Anshi's political reform is not so urgent and drastic, and more consideration is given to the actual situation and vested interests of some people in the system reform, the implementation of officials will be less distorted, the opposition will be less resistant, the support of sects will be more firm, and political reform will be possible. However, history has no ifs.
Those who are rich are also beneficial to people and ministers, not to the country. People who save money to raise money are the blessing of the country, not the blessing of non-human ministers.
Why is there still a long way to go? People are the foundation of the country, and punishment is the thief of the people. If you want to make profits and accumulate wealth, you must first punish the people and steal the people, and the country will shake. As for the minister who benefits, reward him first.
Su Shi, in the criminal and political chapter of "Two Treatments of Taoism", mentioned saving money (increasing income and saving expenses) at the early stage of his residence, opposed excessive accumulation of money, and even used punishment to benefit the people, and advocated saving the country. He believes that plundering the people is only beneficial to the official achievements. Although the national treasury is full, the people suffer, which is not conducive to national stability.
Take the young crop method as an example. If farmers can really apply for loans voluntarily instead of forcibly apportioning them, the interest rate can be lower, which should still be beneficial to farmers (after all, there is no need to borrow usury from the rich).