When Shade saw his neighbor in the busy courtyard, Mr. Smith was talking to a gentleman who looked obviously Southern. Because there were customers walking around everywhere, the two of them stood at the long table talking, which seemed ordinary.
Out of courtesy, Shade did not disturb them, but Mr. Smith unexpectedly stopped Shade. After Shade came, he introduced him:
“This is Baron Hans Fuller, who came from the United Kingdom of Carsonlik with Princess Margaret, and works in the financial department of the United Kingdom. Baron Fuller, this is Hamilton of Rejed Knight, is my neighbor.”
“Good evening, Baron.”
Shad said in Delarian, shaking hands with the tall, thin, sunken-eyed old gentleman.
“Good evening, knight. Since I came to Tobesk, people seem to be discussing your story everywhere.”
He probably regarded Shade as a “social butterfly” among the Tobesk nobles.
Mr. Smith held the wine glass and said to Shade:
“I was just talking to this southern gentleman about the financial problems of the two countries in recent years. Because of the end of the total war, the economies of both countries have been developing rapidly in recent decades, which can be seen from the annual tax revenue alone. The economy is booming. But we all have our own views on the future economic conditions of both countries. Mr. Hamilton, what do you think?”
The two old gentlemen were both holding wine glasses, Mr. Smith was asking questions, and Baron Fuller was looking at Shade curiously.
Xia De knew that they wanted to hear other opinions from other angles, so he thought about it and expressed his own opinion:
“In fact, economic development is not only due to peace, but also due to technological innovation.”
“Steam engine?”
Mr. Smith asked, nodding;
“Yes, technology drives the economy.”
“To be more precise, technology is the primary productive force.”
Xia De said it categorically, and he believed in this conclusion more than anyone else in this era:
“The emergence of steam engines promoted the development of assembly lines and large factories, turning relatively primitive handicraft workshops into large steam factories emitting black smoke in the distance.”
Shad pointed to the horizon, and the three of them turned their heads together. Baron Fuller nodded and asked in Delarian:
“There are quite a lot of voices in favor of your point of view in our country. However, some people believe that the emergence of large-scale steam factories will make goods and machinery manufacturing more and more dependent on machines rather than workers, making more work The lower-class citizens and poor people who work simply are unemployed, which will have a negative impact on the country’s stability and economic development.”
This question is somewhat in-depth. Baron Fuller asked it because he saw that Shade had certain insights into the topic.
I thought that the handsome knight in front of me would immediately admire the beauty of steam machinery and angrily denounce the mob, or support the poor people who lost their jobs due to the emergence of machinery. Unexpectedly, Shade hesitated for a moment before saying:
“We need to be dialectical, I mean, we need to consider this issue from multiple aspects.”
“Can you tell me more about it?”
Mr. Smith asked with great interest. Although he and Shade were neighbors and met him several times a week, he really didn’t know that Shade had such knowledge on economic issues.
Shad hesitated for a moment and saw the two old gentlemen holding wine glasses looking at him, so he put Mia in his arms on his shoulders and picked up a glass of wine. The location where the three of them were was exactly where the excitement was at the gate of the mansion. Bards in the surrounding tents were singing ancient poems about the Great Northern Ice Cap. People on one side of the gate gathered together and smiled at the people who covered their eyes with black cloth. The two gentlemen tasted the drinks of different colors on the table one by one.
No one paid attention to them, while the strangers were thinking. He has seen a lot since coming to this world, but he has never talked about such topics with anyone. Even Lesia didn’t know what Shade knew.
He lowered his voice slightly:
“On the one hand, the general direction of the development of steam machinery and even our changing steam age is correct. The use of large machinery to improve production efficiency is an important part of the kingdom’s economic development. For example, an ordinary scissor A day’s work by a female cashmere worker is probably not as fast and quality as half an hour of automated steam machinery. This is the advantage of machinery. If we want to improve the overall level of social productivity, we must vigorously develop steam machinery.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Baron Fuller repeatedly agreed.
“But on the other hand, the productivity liberated from these simple basic labors is also a valuable asset.”
“Yes, population is the cornerstone of the kingdom.”
Shad’s neighbor Mr. Smith also nodded slightly, looking at him curiously with his face wearing small round glasses:
“Knight, it seems that I have underestimated you in the past.”
Xia De continued:
“No, no, population is not the cornerstone, but a quality population is the cornerstone of development.”
Mr. Fuller narrowed his eyes and Mr. Smith inhaled slightly.
“If we force workers at the bottom to leave those simple manual jobs, we must let them engage in higher-end and more effective labor in order to stabilize society and develop the economy. This requires the kingdom to make changes and increase basic education. investment, and work with the church to increase efforts to develop night schools, improve the welfare system, and improve the Labor and Workers Act. ”
He knew it was unrealistic to say this now, but he still expressed his thoughts:
“The quality population is the cornerstone of the kingdom. The labor force liberated from the bottom should not be regarded as an unstable burden, but as a gold mine that has not yet been mined. Yes, the population is a gold mine, especially It’s in our time.”
Mr. Smith did not praise Shade again this time, while Mr. Fuller nodded repeatedly.
Xia De paused and thought of many things:
“Our era is in a state of primitive accumulation. I don’t mean that the nobles and businessmen of the old era did not have wealth, but to push the door to the new world, the current wealth is not enough. But our luck is very Well, not only the economic internal circulation system of the Old Continent, but also the vast and fertile land of the New Continent and its unimaginable reserves of minerals.”
This kind of luck is not available to people in every world.
“In my opinion, if Delrayon and Carsonlik can still maintain peace in the next ten years or the next twenty years, then the economic level of the two countries will entirely depend on the basic education. and investment in higher education, as well as the extent of development of the New World. Of course, based on my humble opinion, the former is more important.”
Xia De said, and then added the last sentence:
“After all, knowledge is power.”
“Education…”
The old former chief financial secretary of the kingdom repeated, not knowing what he was thinking of. Baron Fuller gently used his free right hand to pat the back of his left hand that was holding the wine glass. There was a look in his eyes that could not stop Shade. Curiosity:
“It’s wonderful, knight. I imagine that not many young people of your age can think of this. In fact, even among the nobles older than you, there are many people who think that the people of the lower-level kingdoms simply cannot They are just bedbugs. If you replace them with machines, you don’t have to think about the consequences, just sit back and make money.”
After speaking, he snorted:
“How can we do a good job in the economy if we are with those insects?”
This old man from the southern country did not have any objections to the aristocratic group itself. He was probably thinking of his domestic political opponents, or the idiots he had seen in the House of Representatives.
“Sir Fuller, since you are attending the banquet, please do not discuss this topic again.”
The three of them were talking, and a beautiful female voice with a smile came from the door of the mansion. Before the three of them turned around, they heard everyone around them starting to say hello to “Your Highness.”
I turned around and saw Princess Margaret of Anjou and Princess Lecia Cavendish walking together.
Princess Margaret, who had pale golden hair, wore a long dress with a gradient blue color; Lecia wore a red dress that was very similar to her hair color. After the wedding in the afternoon, she changed into that dress. Plain bridesmaid dresses. Both princesses wore small silver crowns symbolizing their status on their heads, and they also had long-sleeved lace gloves on their arms. They were followed by their respective maids, and they became the center of attention as soon as they appeared.
“Good evening, Your Highness.”
The three people at the table put down their wine glasses at the same time to say hello to the two princesses. Lecia smiled and asked the guests around them not to pay too much attention to them, and then introduced Mr. Smith’s identity to Princess Margaret.
Princess Margaret asked with a chuckle:
“Baron Fuller, what were you talking about just now? Sir Smith of Delrayon, is there any difference in economic views from yours?”
“No, it’s not Sir Smith, it’s the Knight of Hamilton.”
Baron Fuller patted Shade on the shoulder, which was a way of expressing intimacy. He said to the red-haired princess:
“Your Highness Lesiya, the young nobles of your country are really insightful. This Mr. Hamilton discussed with us the impact of machinery replacing workers on the economic development of the kingdom. His views are very innovative, and technology is the first Only by liberating the labor force at the bottom can we make better use of the population.”
He repeated Shade’s point of view, and the red-haired princess smiled, satisfied that someone had praised Shade:
“Rejed’s Hamilton always has an unexpected perspective.”
Of course, he is quite reserved on the surface.
“Does Mr. Hamilton also understand economics?”
Princess Margaret was a little surprised. After all, from what she knew, Shade only gained his current status because he fell in love with the duchess and saved the queen.
“No, no, I’m just speaking out of my feelings. I can’t compare with these two gentlemen.”
Xia De said immediately, but Shade’s neighbor praised:
“Knight, although modesty is a virtue, how can you speak nonsense in front of the princess? Your point just now is very good, shallow knowledge is not a problem at all, you stand at a higher height.”
Lecia glanced at Shade, not expecting him to receive such a high evaluation. After all, she also knew the character of the former first secretary of the Kingdom’s Ministry of Finance.
Princess Margaret then smiled and said:
“Knight, let it be said that I am very interested in your views. During my visit to Tobesk, I will attend many parties and salons, and we can talk about these issues together if we have the opportunity.”
She said to Sha De, who of course agreed. The princesses then invited Shade to accompany them, and Shade also responded positively. He just looked at the two princesses in front of him, looked at the former financial civil servants of the two countries, and then thought of the topic they just talked about.
Outlanders really feel that they have the ability to change the civilization process of this world.
I heard a sigh in a daze, but I turned around and tried to find the source of the sigh in the dim light, but I couldn’t find it again.
————————Digression——————
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