Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 356 A Turbulent Court Protest, A Blood-Written Plea for Help!
With the intentional or unintentional promotion by the Da Ming Daily, a wave of heated discussions about land reform and the tax system quickly swept through the people of the Ming Dynasty.

Do not assume that the people in feudal society were all ignorant and foolish.

In reality, people instinctively become clear-headed and shrewd when it comes to their own interests.

As early as the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao raised the banner of "equalization" during his uprising, and Wang Xianzhi even called himself the "Heaven-sent equalization" general.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, the peasant uprising led by Wang Xiaobo and Li Shun raised the banner of "equalizing the noble and the lowly, and equalizing the rich and the poor!"
These slogans immediately garnered widespread support and response from the public.

This shows that these simple and honest ideas have long existed in the hearts of many people.

That's why people like Wang Xiaobo and Li Shun could command such a large following!
However, under the strict hierarchical system of feudal society, these ideas were mostly kept hidden in people's hearts and remained unexpressed.

Now, with newspapers publishing numerous articles about the land reforms and tiered tax system of the three Jurchen tribes, many people's minds are also becoming active.

If the Jurchens could implement such a system, why couldn't the Ming Dynasty?
Besides, everyone knows that the Da Ming Daily was founded by His Majesty when he was still a prince, and now it has become a legitimate official newspaper. So, do the articles published in the Da Ming Daily represent the opinions of the court?

Or rather, at least within the imperial court, the opinions of certain powerful figures!

Some people with ulterior motives then made this conjecture.

This is inside the imperial court; someone has given a hint!
With hints, there will naturally be people who can "understand".

The first to submit a memorial on this matter were not the poor people at the bottom of society, but the scholars from relatively well-off families.

In this era, a family that can support one person to dedicate themselves to studying for decades must be well-off.

However, the vast majority of them are not from wealthy or powerful families.

After all, wealthy and powerful families make up a very small percentage of the population at any given time.

Most of these scholars came from humble backgrounds, with a few dozen acres of meager land and a small amount of property that was barely enough to support their education.

That's all.

Compared to those poor families who have no land and can only make a living by working as long-term laborers or renting land, they can be considered wealthy.

However, compared to wealthy families, they appear impoverished.

It is precisely these people who have an extremely strong aversion to wealthy families, and even harbor resentment towards them.

They could write sharp verses like "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie," and also lament with sorrow like "Pitiful one, his clothes are thin, yet he worries that charcoal is cheap and wishes for colder weather!"

In contrast, most of the truly impoverished people at the bottom of society have long been numb and indifferent.

Those few who are not yet numb are also powerless to voice their opinions.

Therefore, it was these "poor scholars" who took the lead in submitting a memorial to the court, earnestly requesting that it follow the example of the Jurchens and reform the tax system.

Normally speaking, scholars do not have the authority to submit memorials to the emperor.

However, since Zhu Yunwen implemented sweeping reforms, even ordinary people have had many ways to write letters to "report and supervise," complain to relevant government departments about the unfair treatment they have received, and report any corrupt practices they have witnessed.

After some discussion, the scholars immediately decided to use these channels to write letters explaining their views.

As a result, letters poured in like snowflakes to the Censorate and other government departments of the Ming Dynasty.

"I have long studied the books of sages and virtuous men, and I cherish the thoughts of my country and its people. I am now risking my life to present this book because what I see before my eyes is the deep suffering of the people, and my heart is burning with worry. I hope that the officials of the court will have compassion and present this book to His Majesty on my behalf, so as to seek happiness for all the people of the world."

“In this day and age, the rich own vast tracts of land, possessing fertile fields and towering mansions, indulging in unrestrained extravagance.”

“Their granaries were filled with rotten millet, and their treasures and valuables were piled up like mountains. Everywhere the paths crisscrossed belonged to the wealthy and powerful, who had throngs of servants and attendants and enjoyed all the riches and honors.”

"On the other hand, the poor have no place to stand, and their thatched huts are dilapidated and can hardly shelter them from the wind and rain."

"They were not properly clothed and were not properly fed."

"After spring plowing and summer weeding, most of the millet harvest is used to pay rent."

“His wife, children, and elderly parents were crying from hunger and cold, emaciated and a pitiful sight.”

"The harm caused by land annexation is worse than that caused by tigers and wolves."

"The people had no land to cultivate, became refugees, starved to death everywhere, and the tragic scene of exchanging children to eat was often heard."

"If this continues, the foundation of the nation will be shaken, the people's hearts will be scattered, and great chaos may ensue."

"I have heard that the Duke of Liang implemented tax reforms in the Jurchen lands, imposing heavy taxes on wealthy gentry, which has resulted in a balance of wealth, peace for the people, and tranquility for the region."

"Now, our Ming Dynasty's heartland is also deeply mired in this predicament. Why not adopt their good strategy?"

"I earnestly request the court to investigate this matter thoroughly and impose heavy taxes on the vast amounts of land and houses owned by wealthy and powerful merchants."

"Firstly, it can curb their insatiable greed and the speed at which they amass wealth, allowing their wealth to flow back to the people and alleviate their suffering."

"Secondly, it will replenish the national treasury to fund major projects related to people's livelihoods, such as water conservancy and disaster relief."

"Thirdly, we will address the root cause of the problem, suppress the trend of land annexation, and return the land to the people."

"Only when the people can cultivate the land and the granaries are gradually full can we ensure the stability of our Great Ming Dynasty and the eternal prosperity of our country."

“I am but a humble scholar, of low rank and little influence, yet I dare not forget the teachings of the sages, and thinking of the suffering of the people, I cannot help but speak out.”

"I hope that the officials of the court will take the well-being of the people into consideration, save them from suffering, and submit a petition to His Majesty to reform the tax system."

"Honorable Lord, may you rest in peace!"

At first, the court officials did not pay much attention to these letters.

In their eyes, the scholars' wild words and unwarranted comments on the court's major policies were no different from utter nonsense.

After all, these people had only read a few books on Confucian classics and had no experience in politics or officialdom.

How could anyone know the hardships involved?
Talking about national affairs in vain is utterly ridiculous!
Adhering to the mentality of "better to avoid trouble than to cause trouble," as long as the content of the letters was not too outrageous, the ministers were too lazy to argue with these scholars and simply tossed the letters aside.

However, the situation changed far faster than they had anticipated.

The number of letters arriving was snowballing, growing ever larger.

Moreover, the things they discussed were largely the same.

They all earnestly requested the court to follow the example of the Jurchens in implementing tax reforms and to carry out reforms within the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

This time, the officials could no longer sit still.

It should be noted that, according to Zhu Yunwen's decree, all departments were required to record in detail any letters received from the people and archive them for future reference.

Behind this is a set of extremely strict rules and regulations as a guarantee.

Furthermore, multiple people were assigned to supervise each other's implementation.

If the number of letters is small, they can make a perfunctory note and then push the letters to the bottom of the archive, where no one usually pays attention.

But now the letters are piling up, and their contents are so consistent. If we ignore them now, and the court investigates them later, it will be a crime of dereliction of duty.

Officials can no longer pretend they don't know or turn a deaf ear!

"This is slander against His Majesty!"

Inside the Censorate, an official, enraged and furious, slammed a letter written by a scholar onto the table.

"Everyone knows that since Your Majesty ascended the throne, our Great Ming Dynasty has enjoyed peace and prosperity, with efficient governance, harmonious people, a full treasury, and mountains of grain in the granaries. The people live in peace and contentment, and there is no longer any fear of hunger or cold."

The official, his face flushed with anger, continued to roar, "But look at what this letter says! It claims that the common people are suffering terribly, crying out in hunger and cold, with corpses littering the fields, and even resorting to cannibalism."

"How could such a situation have occurred in our Great Ming Dynasty under His Majesty's wise rule?"

"This is clearly blatant fabrication, baseless accusation, malicious rumor-mongering, and wanton slander against His Majesty's reputation!"

"How can the law be upheld if such arrogant and unruly individuals are not severely punished?"

His shout instantly resounded like thunder within the Censorate, drawing the attention of the other censors, who quickly gathered around.

An imperial censor reached out and took the letter, studying it carefully word by word. Then, without saying a word, he handed the letter to the person next to him.

And so the letter was passed around among the people.

After seeing it, everyone's expression was different, some solemn, some puzzled, and some angry.

The contents of the letter clearly contain serious problems. At this time, the Ming Dynasty is enjoying a period of peace and prosperity, with tranquility reigning throughout the land and the people living in peace and prosperity. Yet, the letter claims that the people are suffering and starving to death...

Such remarks can be dealt with in varying degrees of severity.

To put it mildly, it's just the arrogant talk of an ignorant scholar. There's no need to argue with such people; just ignore it and pretend you didn't see it.

But to put it more seriously, that would be a very serious matter.

It is entirely reasonable and legal to punish someone who slanders the court or defames the emperor, and to imprison them for such a serious crime.

Many things are like this; they may seem insignificant, but they actually hold hidden secrets.

Just like this matter, when you don't take it seriously, it's as light as a feather.

Once you delve into it, it becomes as heavy as Mount Tai.

If it were truly to be judged as defaming the emperor's reputation, even confiscation of property and exile would be considered lenient punishment.

If things go wrong, they might suffer the punishment of being cut into a thousand pieces, or even have their entire family implicated and their nine generations of relatives brought to ruin!

"You have all seen this letter, haven't you? In your opinion, shouldn't such an arrogant person who utters such treasonous words be severely punished?"

The first censor to lose his temper swept his gaze across the crowd and asked a question.

"He should be punished!" an imperial censor immediately responded loudly, his tone resolute.

"If we do not severely punish these madmen and allow them to spread false rumors, slander the court and the emperor, and damage the emperor's reputation, then it would be our dereliction of duty and disloyalty to the emperor!"

"Absolutely right! This person should be arrested immediately, imprisoned, and interrogated to uphold the law!"

Another censor chimed in.

"We've received quite a few letters like this lately; they might be secretly colluding and conspiring!"

Some people put forward their own guesses.

"Good! If these traitors have really colluded, what are we waiting for? Quickly find out who wrote these letters, and wipe them all out, don't let a single one escape!"

The crowd grew increasingly agitated, and their words became more and more heated.

Inside the Censorate, all the censors were filled with righteous indignation.

In fact, they had seen similar letters before, and the content was roughly the same.

However, in the past, everyone chose to ignore it and casually toss it aside.

But now that someone has deliberately brought out this letter to make a big deal out of it, their attitude is naturally completely different.

As the saying goes, it doesn't weigh more than four ounces on the scale, but once it's on the scale, it weighs a thousand pounds!

Who dares to say that this letter is not slandering the Emperor?
Do you also agree with the views expressed in the letter?
Or are you actually sympathizing with these rebellious "traitors"?

Therefore, the officials had no choice but to act more indignantly than the other in order to demonstrate their unwavering loyalty to His Majesty!
On the other hand, many officials have long wanted to find a pretext to crack down on these scholars.

Although censors and officials were considered upright officials in the court, they mainly relied on the government's salary to make a living and dared not easily embezzle or accept bribes.

Unlike the officials in charge of engineering in the Ministry of Works, or those who were sent to other places to take up substantive positions, who held great power and had many opportunities to make money.

Therefore, most censors did indeed live in relative poverty.

Moreover, there were indeed many censors who considered themselves to have "backbone" and regarded themselves as "pure officials," resolutely refusing to get involved in corruption and bribery.

In fact, many censors in Nanjing lived a rather austere life.

However, being in officialdom and serving as an imperial censor with the power of impeachment, how could one truly remain completely untainted?

Even if the censors themselves are upright and honest, their family members and relatives may not be so.

Once local officials learn that someone in a family is an imperial censor in the Censorate, they will rack their brains and try every means to curry favor with them.

If they can't please the censor himself, they'll turn to his family, clansmen, and relatives.

After all, even if an imperial censor is upright and honest, it is difficult to guarantee that he can restrain his family members and make them adhere to the same bottom line as him.

The phrase "adhering to a simple life and living a frugal life" sounds simple, but in reality, it is harder than climbing to heaven.

Not to mention, even if family members manage to do it, there are still clansmen and relatives to consider!

In feudal society, kinship ties were deeply intertwined and extremely close, making them impossible to sever easily.

For the relatives of those censors, having a censor serving in the capital in their family meant that even if they didn't deliberately act recklessly and simply obeyed the law, their land and property would increase "naturally" as if by magic.

Originally, a small landowner who only owned a few dozen acres of thin land could unknowingly expand his land to several hundred acres.

If someone were to secretly use underhanded means to seize wealth, the rate of wealth accumulation would be even more astonishing.

Moreover, many of the censors came from wealthy families.

The family already owned a considerable amount of farmland and houses.

After all, the ability to support one's descendants through education, all the way to the high position of censor, must be inseparable from the strong support of the family.

If the imperial court were to implement a tiered tax system, it might not have much impact on the censors serving in Nanjing.

But for their families and relatives, it is a real blow to their interests.

Humans are inherently selfish; even the most upright and honest officials will inevitably have a little selfishness deep down.

An official like Hai Rui is one of a kind in thousands of years.

Most officials certainly cannot be compared to Hai Rui.

Therefore, they instinctively resist and oppose the tiered tax system from the bottom of their hearts.

The reason I previously ignored those letters about tax reform was simply because I adhered to the survival philosophy of "it's better to do less than more" in officialdom.

After all, once things escalate, the person who initiates the attack will inevitably be thrust into the limelight and become the target of public criticism, a situation that most people are unwilling to face.

At this point, if someone steps forward to take the lead in making trouble, they are naturally happy to follow suit.

This is a good opportunity to curb the arrogance of those who are advocating for a tiered tax system.

To completely quell this matter.

Just as everyone was talking at once and discussing it enthusiastically, Yang Shiqi walked in from outside with steady steps.

"Your Excellency has come at the perfect time! A scholar has written a letter to the court, openly slandering His Majesty. We were just about to submit a joint memorial, earnestly requesting the court to issue an edict to severely punish him. Why don't you take the lead, Your Excellency?"

The censor who had been furious moments before, now looking anxious, stepped forward and respectfully presented the letter to Yang Shiqi.

In an instant, the Censorate fell silent, and all eyes turned to Yang Shiqi.

His eyes were full of expectation and uncertainty.

"Oh?" Yang Shiqi responded softly, took the letter, and glanced at it quickly.

For a fleeting moment, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his usual composure.

"Understood, we'll discuss that later. Right now, there's something more pressing."

Yang Shiqi calmly put the letter away.

Then, with a solemn expression, he said, "I just received urgent news that some of my people have been lured overseas by treacherous people, imprisoned, enslaved, and subjected to inhuman torture, living a life worse than death."

"When their relatives learned of the news, they were devastated and wrote letters in blood to the court for help."

"This matter has already attracted great attention from the Ming Dynasty's intelligence bureau and military intelligence department, and has been reported to His Majesty."

"His Majesty was furious when he learned of this."

"I heard that the letter of appeal filled with blood and tears was first sent to our Censorate, but I have never seen it."

Where is this letter?

……

(End of this chapter)