Chapter 888

When Xia De saw his neighbor in the bustling courtyard, old Mr. Shi Misi was talking to a gentleman who clearly looked like a Southerner. Because there were guests walking around everywhere, the two of them standing by the long table talking seemed unremarkable.

Out of politeness, Xia De did not go to disturb them, but Mr. Shi Misi unexpectedly called Xia De over. After Xia De walked over, he introduced him:

"This is Baron Hans Fuller, who came from the United Kingdom of Kaisenlike with Princess Margaret, and works in the financial department of the United Kingdom. Baron Fuller, this is Knight Hamilton of Lei Jiede, my neighbor."

"Good evening, Baron."

Xia De said in Delarion, shaking hands with the tall, thin old gentleman with deep-set eyes.

"Good evening, Knight. After I arrived in Tobesk, it seems that everyone is discussing your story everywhere."

He probably regarded Xia De as a "social butterfly" among the Tobesk nobles.

Mr. Shi Misi said to Xia De while holding a wine glass:

"Just now I was discussing the financial problems of the two countries over the years with this Southern gentleman. Because of the end of the total war, the economies of both countries have been developing rapidly in recent decades. One can see the thriving economy just from the annual tax revenue. But we both have our own views on the future economic situation of the two countries. Mr. Hamilton, what do you think about this?"

Both old gentlemen were holding wine glasses, Mr. Shi Misi was asking questions, and Baron Fuller was curiously looking at Xia De.

Xia De knew they wanted to hear other views from different angles, so he considered it and also expressed his own views:

"Actually, economic development is not only because of peace but also because of technological innovation."

"Steam engine?"

Mr. Shi Misi asked, nodding;

"Yes, technology promotes the economy."

"More accurately, science and technology are the primary productive forces."

Xia De said decisively. He trusted this conclusion more than anyone else in this era:

"The emergence of the steam engine promotes the development of assembly lines and large factories, thereby turning relatively primitive handicraft workshops into those large steam factories emitting black smoke in the distance."

Xia De pointed to the sky, and the three of them turned their heads together. Baron Fuller nodded and asked in Delarion:

"This point of view of yours also has quite a lot of voices of agreement in our country. But some people think that the emergence of large steam factories will make commodity and machinery manufacturing increasingly dependent on machines rather than workers, causing bottom-level citizens and the poor engaged in relatively simple labor to lose their jobs, which will instead have an adverse impact on national stability and economic development."

This question had some depth. Baron Fuller raised it after seeing that Xia De had certain insights into the topic.

He originally thought that this handsome knight in front of him would immediately praise the beauty of steam machinery and denounce the mob, or support the poor who lost their jobs due to the emergence of machinery. Unexpectedly, Xia De hesitated before saying:

"We must dialectically, I mean, we must consider this problem from multiple aspects."

"Can you elaborate?"

Mr. Shi Misi asked with great interest. Although he was neighbors with Xia De and would meet a few times every week, he really didn't know that Xia De had such insights on economic issues.

Xia De hesitated for a moment. Seeing that the two old gentlemen holding wine glasses were both looking at him, he put Mia, whom he was holding in his arms, on his shoulder and also picked up a glass of wine. The location where the three of them were was exactly the bustling place at the entrance of the mansion. In the tents around, bards were chanting ancient poems about the Great Northern Ice Cap. People on one side of the gate gathered together, smiling and watching two gentlemen with their eyes covered by black cloth, tasting the wine of different colors on the table one by one.

No one paid attention to them, and the outsider was thinking. After coming to this world, he had seen a lot, but he had never discussed such topics with anyone. Even Lei Qianya didn't know what Xia De actually understood.

He lowered his voice a little:

"On the one hand, the development of steam machinery and even our steam age of change, the general direction is correct. Using large machinery to improve production efficiency is an important part of the Kingdom's economic development. For example, the labor of an ordinary female worker shearing cashmere for a day is probably not as good as the speed and quality of automated steam machinery in half an hour. This is the advantage of machinery. If you want to improve the overall level of social productive forces, you must vigorously develop steam machinery."

"Yes, very well said."

Baron Fuller agreed repeatedly.

"But on the other hand, the productive forces liberated from these simple basic labors are also precious wealth."

"Yes, population is the cornerstone of the Kingdom."

Xia De's neighbor, Mr. Shi Misi, also nodded slightly, his face with small round-framed glasses looking at him curiously:

"Knight, it seems that I underestimated you in the past."

Xia De continued:

"No, no, population is not the cornerstone; a high-quality population is the cornerstone of development."

Mr. Fuller narrowed his eyes, and Mr. Shi Misi inhaled slightly.

"If we force bottom-level workers to leave those simple manual jobs, we must let them engage in more high-end and more effective labor to stabilize society and develop the economy. This requires the Kingdom to make changes, increase investment in basic education, work with the church to increase efforts to develop night schools, improve the welfare system, and perfect the labor worker bill."

He knew that saying these things now was a bit unrealistic, but he still expressed his thoughts:

"A high-quality population is the cornerstone of the Kingdom. The labor force liberated from the bottom should not be regarded as an unstable burden but should be regarded as a gold mine yet to be mined. Yes, population is a gold mine, especially in our era."

Mr. Shi Misi did not praise Xia De again this time, and Mr. Fuller nodded repeatedly.

Xia De paused, thinking of many things:

"Our era is in a state of primitive accumulation. I don't mean that the nobles and merchants of the old era had no wealth, but to push open the door to the new world, the current one is far from enough. But we are very lucky, not only having the economic internal circulation system of the Old Continent but also the vast and rich land of the New Continent and unimaginable reserves of mineral resources."

This kind of luck is not something that people in every world can have.

"In my opinion, in the next ten years, the next twenty years, if Delarion and Kaisenlike can still maintain peace, then the level of the economies of the two countries depends entirely on the investment in basic education and higher education, as well as the degree of development of the New Continent. Of course, just from my shallow knowledge, the former is more important."

Xia De said, and then added the last sentence:

"After all, knowledge is power."

"Education..."

The old former chief secretary of the Kingdom's Ministry of Finance repeated, not knowing what he was thinking of. Baron Fuller gently tapped the back of his left hand holding the wine glass with his empty right hand, his eyes filled with unstoppable curiosity about Xia De:

"Too wonderful, Knight. I think there are not many young people of your age who can think of this point. In fact, even nobles older than you have plenty of people who think that those bottom-level Kingdom people are just bugs, and there is no need to consider the consequences of replacing them with machinery; just lie down and earn gold."

After speaking, he snorted:

"How can you run the economy well by being with that group of vermin?"

This old man from the South did not have an opinion on the noble group itself; he should have thought of his political opponents in the country or the idiots he had seen in the parliament.

"Sir Fuller, since you are attending the banquet, don't discuss such topics anymore."

As the three of them were talking, a clear female voice with a smile came from the entrance of the mansion. Before the three of them turned around, they heard the crowd around them start to greet "Your Highness."

Turning around to look, walking together were Princess Margaret Anjou and Princess Lei Qianya Cavendish.

Princess Margaret with light golden hair was wearing a gradient blue long dress; Lei Qianya was wearing a red long dress similar to her hair color. After the wedding in the afternoon ended, she changed out of that plain bridesmaid dress. Both princesses wore small silver crowns symbolizing their status on their heads, and both had long-sleeved lace gloves on their arms. Followed by their respective maids, they became the focus of the vicinity as soon as they appeared.

"Good evening, Your Highness."

The three people by the table put down their wine glasses at the same time to greet the two princesses. Lei Qianya smiled and told the surrounding guests not to pay too much attention to them, and then introduced Mr. Shi Misi's identity to Princess Margaret.

Princess Margaret asked with a chuckle:

"Baron Fuller, what were you talking about just now? Does Sir Shi Misi of Delarion have any difference in economic views from you?"

"No, not Sir Shi Misi, it is this Knight Hamilton."

Baron Fuller patted Xia De on the shoulder, which was a way to express closeness. He said to the red-haired princess:

"Your Highness Lei Qianya, the young nobles of your country have truly remarkable insights. This Mr. Hamilton discussed with us the impact of machinery replacing workers on the Kingdom's economic development. His point of view is very novel: science and technology are the primary productive forces, and only by liberating bottom-level labor can population be better utilized."

He repeated Xia De's point of view, and the red-haired princess showed a smile, very satisfied that someone praised Xia De:

"Hamilton of Lei Jiede always has unexpected points of view."

Of course, she was still quite reserved on the surface.

"Does Mr. Hamilton also understand economics?"

Princess Margaret was a little surprised. After all, from the channels she understood, Xia De only had his current status because he clung to the Duchess and saved the Queen.

"No, no, I just expressed my feelings, and I cannot compare with these two gentlemen."

Xia De said immediately, but Xia De's neighbor praised:

"Knight, although humility is a virtue, how can you speak recklessly in front of the princess? Your point of view just now was very good. Shallow knowledge is not a problem at all; you stood at a higher height."

Lei Qianya glanced at Xia De, not expecting him to receive such high praise. After all, she also understood the personality of the Kingdom's former first secretary of the Ministry of Finance.

Princess Margaret then said with a smile:

"Knight, speaking of which, I am quite interested in your point of view. During my visit to Tobesk, I will attend many parties and salons. If there is a chance, we can talk about these problems together."

She said to Xia De, and Xia De naturally agreed. The princesses then invited Xia De to accompany them, and Xia De also gave a positive response. It was just that looking at the two princesses in front of him, looking at the former financial civil servants of the two countries, and then thinking of the topic just discussed.

The outsider really felt that he had the ability to change the civilization process of this world.

In a trance, he heard a sigh, but when he turned around and wanted to find the source of the sigh in the dim light, he couldn't find it.

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ps: Asking for votes at the end of the month.

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