CHAPTER 816: CHAPTER 814: SOUNDS QUITE REASONABLE

After a long while, the emperor finally looked up and saw Ye Xinyan standing alone to one side, looking quite pitiful in her demeanor. A trace of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he gestured to the chair beside her: "Sit down."

Ye Xinyan hurriedly thanked him for the seat and sat down on the edge of the chair.

Immediately, a Young Eunuch brought a cup of tea and placed it beside her hand. As Ye Xinyan nodded in thanks, she heard the emperor above say: "The suggestion you made earlier about incorporating patent protection into the law is indeed reasonable, but progress has been extremely slow. Recently, there are even signs of stagnation."

The emperor’s words seemed less like he was consulting Ye Xinyan’s opinion and more like he was talking to himself.

To Ye Xinyan, it was particularly speechless. Shouldn’t such matters be considered by a person of authority like you, the emperor, and high officials like Han Yanhui?

As a young woman, being able to make this idea and the pros and cons she could think of clear was already her utmost capability. As for whether the implementation goes smoothly or not, it has nothing to do with her, right?

Ye Xinyan secretly complained, while the emperor continued to say: "What you said to Prime Minister Han earlier was very enlightening, but if one is to forcibly find deficiencies and faults in it, it’s hard to make it fully stand,"

The emperor paused and continued asking, "Do you have any other suggestions?"

Ye Xinyan looked at Han Yanhui with some astonishment. When Han Yanhui visited Duke An’s Mansion, she had told him a few things because she did not want to appear in person, so she proposed Han Yanhui to use those reasons to promote the implementation of patent law.

Unexpectedly, Han Yanhui had not concealed anything and had truthfully said that those words came from her. It seems that he is still quite a gentleman of integrity.

Ye Xinyan hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Your Majesty, may I ask where the difficulties in promotion lie?"

The emperor hesitated for a moment, then said: "Since ancient times, scholars have assisted the Son of Heaven in managing state affairs, whereas farmers and agriculture are related to the world’s sustenance and stability. The hierarchical system of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants is time-tested, and creating a specific law to protect craftsmanship means placing monetary benefits at the forefront, nearly equivalent to elevating the status of merchants."

"If it thus undermines the status of scholars and farmers, causing all farmers to abandon agriculture and scholars to forsake their virtues and ethics, all in the pursuit of profit, then what kind of downfall would this world face?" The emperor, when speaking the last sentence, displayed the unease within his heart.

Han Yanhui and Jinrong also looked towards Ye Xinyan. With unprecedented matters, no one knows what the future holds upon implementation. However, these arguments from the emperor are exactly what opposing officials have said against patents, and no one dares to guarantee that it would not happen.

If patent protection indeed leads to people abandoning their rightful duties and results in destitution decades from now, the ministers of today’s dynasty would become the sinners of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The reason the emperor appeared in Prince Yu’s unfinished garden today was because he had heard of the garden’s beauty and wanted to relieve some of his pent-up frustration.

Ye Xinyan didn’t expect the promotion of patent protection law to be hindered by such a reason. To be honest, Ye Xinyan has always been a minor figure; even now, as Duke An’s granddaughter, she still focuses on business and making money. She is not a person in high position, let alone considering issues from an authoritative standpoint.

Modern people study, yet not the classics and historical texts, while what is widely applied in society is not the classics and historical texts. In her view, the study of these and the reading of classic historical texts are solely for passing down cultural heritage of a nation, but as for the national status and strength of that era, it is probably technology and military that are paramount.

But how should she express this to the emperor?

Also, who says that developing commerce will lead to people becoming destitute? Back in the Northern Song Dynasty, the policies were relaxed and commerce thrived. That era was indeed prosperous, but... sigh, a weak emperor was a major reason, and the emphasis on literature over martial arts was also an important cause, wasn’t it?

The emperor, seeing Ye Xinyan silent for a long time, became more uncertain and asked, "Do you also think this could lead to chaos in the world order?"

Ye Xinyan raised her eyebrows, glanced at Han Yanhui, and said, "Your Majesty, forgive this woman for speaking boldly, but the original essence of the world is the pursuit of interests. After thousands of years, has this world truly become better or worse?" Does he think she is foolish? Or are those who manipulate power actually the foolish ones?

"Ahem, ahem..." Jinrong coughed repeatedly, saying, "Miss Ye, talk about the main business, talk about the main business."

Ye Xinyan blinked, aware that she might have gone overboard.

"Your Majesty, this woman doesn’t understand state affairs. Though I have many ideas, they are quite chaotic, and I don’t know where to start."

"That’s no problem. You can say them one by one," the emperor dispelled the previous feeling of discord and nodded.

He feared not that Miss Ye had too many reasons and didn’t know which to speak first; he feared that her suggestion at the time was just a whim, without any dependable justification.

Ye Xinyan organized her thoughts and spoke the first idea that came to mind: "As far as I know, the greatest threat to our Great Xia Dynasty, and even previous dynasties, comes from the nomadic tribes of the North. In ancient times, it was the Barbarian tribes; the border pass of the Central Plains was harassed every year, sometimes resulting in cities being taken and land being seized.

Subsequently, the Xiongnu and Hu people were extremely fierce, and if it weren’t for the Great Wall stretching across the North, the Central Plains would’ve faced an unknowable fate. These people neither read nor farm, yet at their will, they could launch raids on the borders. Your Majesty, if there is no Combat Power to protect even the nation, what talk of virtue or honor?"

Jinrong breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Ye Xinyan, timely asked: "How does this relate to patent protection?"

Ye Xinyan replied: "Patent protection is for ingenious devices and tools, including weapons and farm tools. While private weapon manufacturing is not allowed, everything in the world is interconnected. If the development of ingenious devices thrives among the people, it will inevitably lead to advances in weaponry."

The emperor and Han Yanhui exchanged a glance, and Han Yanhui said: "In ancient times, the sages spoke, ’Only when granaries are full do people learn manners, only when clothing and food are sufficient do they understand honor and shame.’ It is essential to keep the people well-fed and clothed to maintain stability in the world. If the people are distracted from agriculture due to other enticements, what will the court rely on to fill their stomachs?"

Ye Xinyan said calmly: "Forgive this woman’s ignorance, but who are the most suffering people in the world? It’s the farmers. Farmers sow in spring and reap in autumn. They plant one seed, harvest ten thousand grains, yet what part of this grain actually ends up in the farmers’ hands? For generations, they have lived in hunger and cold, yet for generations, they continue to sow in spring and harvest in autumn.

It’s unreasonable for them to endure such hardship for centuries, only to abandon farming because the court enacts a patent law, which, if truly implemented, would still result in farming-benefiting tools. To put it bluntly, this is merely discourse used by scholars to maintain their elite status, disregarding the Son of Heaven, ignoring the court, and neglecting the common people."

The emperor raised his eyebrows somewhat losing composure; this lady truly dares to say anything. Yet, curiously, it seemed to make quite a lot of sense.