The limitations of the times

But this is just a temporary solution, not addressing the root cause.

It's not that our ancestors weren't wise enough.

In the end, it all comes down to those six words.

"The limitations of the times."

Li Shimin frowned, his thoughts gradually aligning with those of his ancestors. He shook his head and said, "If we promote merchants and traders, then the national wealth will inevitably flow into their hands in large quantities..."

Lin Shen interrupted, asking, "Do you think this can be avoided?"

Li Shimin nodded confidently, "As long as we maintain the current class order, merchants and traders will never rise to power... Their numbers are few, and even if there are so-called class conflicts, they are under control of my Great Tang."

This was Li Shimin's confidence.

Even if merchants and traders caused trouble, they lacked social status and resources...

Sending troops to suppress them would easily solve all problems.

Lin Shen shook his head, "Do you think this can be avoided?"

Li Shimin vaguely felt something was wrong.

After thinking about it carefully, he nodded again.

Lin Shen sighed, "Your perspective is still too narrow."

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow. As the emperor, he looked at this issue from the perspective of the entire nation. How could such a perspective be considered narrow?

Lin Shen lightly tapped the table and said, "This is unavoidable. Even if you suppress it now, when productivity develops, it will be the time for merchants and traders to rise."

Li Shimin curiously asked, "You've been mentioning productivity from the beginning. What exactly is productivity?"

Lin Shen said, "Let me think about how to explain it to you in terms you can understand."

Li Shimin seemed a bit gloomy.

Lin Shen explained, "You can simply understand it as the ability to create labor results."

Li Shimin nodded thoughtfully, "So I understand, but how is this related to merchants and traders?"

Lin Shen explained, "If something were to appear at this time that could greatly increase productivity, what do you think would happen?"

Li Shimin's thinking was obviously different from that of ordinary people. "Such a thing couldn't exist, could it?"

Lin Shen pointed to himself, "Look at me."

Li Shimin suddenly realized his oversight.

Clearly, Lin Shen's existence was a perfect example.

Thinking about the changes in the entire Great Tang since Lin Shen appeared...

Li Shimin suddenly felt somewhat bewildered...

For the first time, the familiar Great Tang felt extremely unfamiliar to him.

Suddenly, Li Shimin had a realization and exclaimed, "If I restrict the emergence of such things and destroy them when found?"

Smack!

Without hesitation, Lin Shen picked up a book from the table and smacked Li Shimin on the head.

Li Shimin was a bit stunned.

What's going on...

How dare he hit me?

Lin Shen stared at Li Shimin with an unfriendly look and said, "I just praised your intelligence, and now you come up with such a foolish idea."

Li Shimin rubbed his head. Now was not the time to be angry. He hurriedly asked, "How is this a foolish idea when it can prevent merchants from controlling wealth?"

Lin Shen asked, "Do you want all the people of the world to have enough to eat?"

Li Shimin nodded, "Of course."

Lin Shen shrugged, "The prerequisite for everyone in the world to have enough to eat is the improvement of productivity."

"Now the population of the Great Tang is just tens of millions, and the farmers can barely support them. Can farming alone support a larger population?"

Li Shimin remained silent.

Lin Shen continued, "The pursuit of a better life is instinctual for everyone. As I just said, this is something that cannot be avoided."

"You try all you want to obstruct its emergence, but in the end, it's just delaying the inevitable..."

"Do you have the ability to firmly grasp all of this? Are you sure your future descendants will be able to do the same as you?"

This sentence pierced Li Shimin's heart.

He was not sure...

In fact, he was sure that not all of his future descendants would be as capable as him. There would definitely be some incompetent emperors among them.

Realizing this inevitable trend...

A deep sense of powerlessness washed over him.

Li Shimin slumped in his chair, looking at Lin Shen with a helpless and exhausted expression, "Please guide me, Master Lin."

Lin Shen softly said, "With the development of productivity, it's inevitable that merchants will have more and greater social status."

"Instead of trying to block it, it's better to let it happen naturally, or even actively guide its development, so that it appears more quickly in the eyes of the people of the Great Tang."

Li Shimin curiously asked, "Should I do that?"

Lin Shen chuckled and said softly, "To solve these things, first you need to understand that blindly widening the gap between classes is not the way to go. You even need to actively narrow the gap between classes."

"And the most fundamental way to actively narrow the gap between classes is through education."

Li Shimin asked in confusion, "Education?"

Lin Shen nodded, "Yes, education."

"Even if those common people cannot participate in the imperial examinations or advance in officialdom and wealth, they must still be taught to read and understand the ways of the world..."

"Our ancestors have done almost enough in this regard, and you, as the Emperor of the ages, only need to further promote this."

"This is also a great achievement for all ages."

A light began to shine in Li Shimin's eyes...

Lin Shen opened a new window for him, showing him a world completely different from what he had known before.

Now he had been given a ladder, a way to enter a new world...

Li Shimin nodded, "This is a good idea. But it's a huge matter, and I'm afraid not many officials in the court will agree. Please assist me at tomorrow's court meeting, Master Lin."

Lin Shen frowned at Li Shimin, with a hesitant look in his eyes. "Hmm? Do I, a layman, have to attend morning conference?"