Chapter 0007: The rebellion against the Jin Dynasty is easier than the rebellion against the Southern Song Dynasty
Rebellion is a means; the true objective should be political in nature
Some people have a vague outline in their minds, but it is not clear, and they do not know how to express it
Su Yonglin struck the table with a punch, the sound resonant and powerful, each word penetrating the heart
To explain the basic situation of the Northern Jin state in detail to them, and to refer to the Southern Song state directly as 'Southern Song' without any reservations
Not only the leaders are like this, but the subordinates are as well; they rebel for the sake of food, and once they have eaten, they no longer know what they should do.
Su Yonglin was laughing on stage to the point of nearly losing her breath, while over one hundred and twenty people below stared blankly at her
Clearly, these words have not only entered their minds but have also reached their hearts
Su Yonglin left them time to reflect, and when they all raised their heads to look back at themselves, Su Yonglin continued speaking
The royal army? Do the Han people in the north need the royal army to rescue them? Everyone, do you know why I have never taken you to Huainan to smuggle salt?
That scene was particularly amusing
Su Yonglin grinned and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, the current Jin Kingdom is like a barrel full of gunpowder; it only takes a spark to blow it to smithereens, and we are that spark!"
The people below were silent as a grave
Everyone was surprised once again
So when you ask me whether the Han people in the north are waiting for the Southern Song army to rescue them, I tell you that is nonsense. The Han people in the north do not need the Southern Song army to save them. What would they be rescued for? To continue consuming official salt at over 100 wen per pound? Or to live a life like ours, not knowing which day they might lose their heads
Su Yonglin was very pleased with the intensified and heavy breathing of the people below him
I will provide the answer, and the answer is nothing at all. Song, it is the Song of the upper class, the Song of the successful candidates in the imperial examination and the nobility. We are merely the livestock of the upper class
Song, it is their Song, not our Song! They reminisce about their Song, what does it have to do with us!
So how to earn
Su Yonglin cannot afford this loss; he needs political objectives and, more importantly, a large number of individuals with political ideology
Under this grand objective, set smaller goals, so that at each stage, one can experience a sense of achievement. After gaining this sense of achievement, one can continue to strive towards the next stage
Su Yonglin turned around and wrote the character 'Song' on the wall, then patted the wall.
After laughing, Su Yonglin wiped her eyes
It seems that no one knows what the Song dynasty means to us common people
Su Yonglin patted his own chest and pointed at the people below: "We, the common folk, are their means of making money. Salt, we cannot do without it; everyone must consume it. If we don't, there will be consequences. They have monopolized salt, raising prices exorbitantly, forcing us to buy it!"
Su Yonglin put away her smile and sighed
Who are the people that are significantly worse off? Those in power and the upper class. During the Southern Song and Northern Song dynasties, they lived in luxury and comfort. After the fall of the Northern Song, their lives became less comfortable than before. With the emperor captured, they personally felt the pain.
Thus, Su Yonglin compiled the intelligence brought back by Su Yin into teaching materials, organized the core team and salt workers into several study groups, and personally took the lead in giving them lectures in rotation
People are very surprised
They all shook their heads
When Su Yonglin's question was posed, people were left in a state of confusion, unsure of how to respond to Su Yonglin's inquiry
Think about the times when you could not afford to eat enough, think about the times when you could not afford salt, did the Zhao family ever come to help you? Did those upper-class people ever come to help you? No, they only look down on you, resenting you for not being able to work without eating.
Su Yonglin waited for a while and nodded in satisfaction
For the Han people in the north, whether it is a change of emperor is merely a matter of a different ruler exerting power over them; there is not much difference otherwise. Whether it is the Wanyan emperor or the Zhao family, for us common folk, there is no difference. Who becomes the emperor, it is all the same, isn't it?
It will also address some of the questions they raise
The means of governance can be learned later, while political ideology must be possessed in advance
The mental shackles imposed upon them by their rulers are undergoing a severe impact
For example, when Su Yonglin described the living conditions of Northern Han people in the Jin dynasty, someone asked whether it was true that the Northern Han people lived in great hardship and were eagerly anticipating the Southern Kingdom's royal army to come to their rescue.
So why is gold salt inexpensive? Firstly, as I mentioned, the governance of the Jin people in their territories is quite rudimentary, akin to that of shepherds tending their flocks; there are many matters they lack the experience and energy to manage. Secondly, the military pressure on the Jin state is not as great as that faced by the Southern Song.
What I am saying is not without basis. From a broader perspective, there are only two types of people in the Southern Song Dynasty: us, the common folk, and those high-ranking elites. Therefore, the only conflict within the Southern Song Dynasty is the one between us and the elites.
Su Yonglin took a deep breath and said: "In the eyes of the upper class, we are nothing but pigs, cows, horses, and dogs! We are not human; we do not deserve to be human. We are merely livestock, existing to produce for them and to be exploited by them!"
The salt was expensive during the Southern Song Dynasty, why? Because of the significant military pressure, it had to support a large number of soldiers and officials, while the territory was smaller than before. The military and officials were not fewer, so they could only find ways to raise funds. Where did the money come from? Of course, it came from us.
Su Yonglin himself stated that Song was defeated by the Jin Dynasty, retreating in a particularly disastrous manner, and was fundamentally no match for the Jin Dynasty. How can one then claim that opposing the Jin Dynasty is relatively easier?
People in Huainan all consume golden salt, as it is far cheaper than the salt from the Southern Song Dynasty. The smugglers of salt along the Huainan border sell golden salt to the people of Huainan, making a profit of five to six times upon resale, which is even more than what we earn.
Some are frowning, filled with uncertainty, displaying a look of questioning their existence
Thus, chaos and infighting began to emerge, ultimately leading to the effortless suppression of these uprisings by the imperial troops
Su Yonglin said solemnly: "The price of official salt in the Southern Song Dynasty consists of nearly 90% in taxes, and only a little over 10% is the actual price. Moreover, the cost of salt production is even less than that little over 10% price. Do you understand now?"
They hate us, they hate that we have mouths to eat, that we need to drink water, that we need to sleep. They wish we would not eat anything at all, but just bury ourselves in work, planting crops for them, drying salt for them, weaving cloth for them, and serving them like cattle and horses
This is how to elevate a rebellious team into a competitive force capable of aspiring to dominate the world.
People became serious, widening their eyes to look at Su Yonglin
There is something that you may not all know
Su Yonglin wrote the two characters "exploitation" on the wall with a brush: "One pound of salt, over one hundred wen in cost, less than half the cost, more than half the profit, plus over eighty percent in taxes, this is the good deed done by the Southern Song Dynasty, this is why you could not afford salt before joining my Su family"
At that time, it was a large classroom with two mixed study groups, and Su Yonglin, facing more than 120 pairs of eyes, laughed out loud like a goose.
Since ancient times, many who have rebelled have done so because they were forced to the brink of survival, thus rising up with the intention of simply living and earning a meager livelihood
I tell you, now that you can read and write, have gained knowledge, and broadened your horizons, you must remember that you, I, and we are all common people. Whether it is the Jin Dynasty or the Southern Song Dynasty, it is all quite similar to us
Goals and ideals should not be held by Su Yonglin alone; it is best for everyone to possess them. The more people there are, the greater the influence on others, striving to have more people stand on one's side
Subsequently, Su Yonglin began to present facts and reason, treating his summarized analysis as a report, breaking it down and explaining it to them in detail
Throughout history, the vast majority of rebel groups have faltered on the path of transforming into hegemonic forces
They have all learned to read and write, and have a basic understanding of arithmetic; they have a mental abacus, and once they calculate, everything becomes clear to them
The fear of the Jin state during the Southern Song dynasty naturally spread to the general populace
This is exploitation
The public harbors fears towards the Jin state, and it is a common belief that the people of Jin are more ferocious; however, Su Yonglin does not share this view
Writing poetry one after another, shouting about the Northern Expedition day after day, what difference does it make? For us ordinary common people, does it really matter whether it is the Song Dynasty or the Jin Dynasty? Su Yin often goes to the north and sees with his own eyes that the lives of the Han people in the north continue as usual.
They have recognized characters, read books, broadened their horizons, and have already developed the most basic understanding ability
Su Yonglin learned from these failures that it is not enough to excel in warfare, economics, and intelligence; one must also understand politics. Otherwise, rebellion becomes merely a simple riot without significant and sustainable political objectives, which is destined to fail
However, once this most direct goal is achieved, they begin to feel lost, unsure of what to do next
There are small flames dancing in their eyes
The Jin Dynasty was different; the upper class of the Jin were the Jurchens. Therefore, there were not only conflicts between the upper class and the commoners, but also conflicts between the Jurchens and the Han people, the Jurchens and the Khitans, as well as the Jurchens and the Xianbei.
What is the reason for this
You may still have questions. Since the Song is not our Song, it is only natural for us to rebel. Why do we rebel against the Jin state instead of rebelling against the Southern Song? My answer is that rebelling against the Jin state is easier than rebelling against the Southern Song
Do they miss the Song? Do they, and we, truly understand what the Song represents? I ask you, what is the Song? What significance does the Song hold for us? What reasons compel us to strive desperately to preserve the Song?
Discuss the basic political ecology of the Northern Jin Dynasty, the living conditions of ordinary people, the current state of government administration, and so on
At that moment, after Su Yonglin finished speaking, some of the people below widened their eyes, appearing as if they had suddenly understood.
Everyone needs to have a clear and ambitious political goal, such as nation-building
Su Yonglin provided his own answer
When words enter their ears, they will no longer pass through from the left ear to the right ear as they did when they were illiterate; instead, they will penetrate into their minds, and more profound words will directly enter their hearts