Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 412 He who wins the hearts of the people is invincible! Xie Jin, prepare to die!

Zhu Yunwen felt a sudden jolt in his mind.

He felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and fell into deep thought.

He kept asking himself what kind of power he actually held in his hands.

First and foremost, of course, is the crucial weapon: the gun.

Now, the Ming Dynasty's new army has been basically established, and every link and every detail is under his careful planning and firm control.

The new army is strong, well-trained, and disciplined, and has become his most formidable weapon.

Secondly, there is the power of the pen.

The Da Ming Daily dominated the battlefield of public opinion, and its powerful propaganda capabilities were far beyond what those scholars who only made noise in the streets and alleys or at literary gatherings could match.

With the widespread circulation of the "Da Ming Daily," the people's thoughts seemed to be guided by an invisible hand, gradually converging in a direction conducive to reform. Its influence spread like ripples, permeating every inch of the land of the Ming Dynasty.

Next is the money bag.

Daming Bank remained firmly in their own hands.

With sufficient funds in the account, mountains of grain in the warehouse, and a stable supply of all materials, the company had a steady financial situation.

With strong financial resources and ample material support, we have the confidence to both appease the people and promote the implementation of various new policies.

There are also knife handles.

Through the Investigating and Examining Bureaus, they could keep track of every move in the entire world.

Like ghosts lurking in the darkness, they silently gathered intelligence from all sides, providing Zhu Yunwen with the most timely and accurate information for his decision-making.

The Ministry of Justice's Bureau of Investigation and Punishment and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were like two cold, sharp steel knives. They would ruthlessly eliminate any dissent who showed their faces, using thunderous methods to intimidate the world and deter those with ulterior motives from making any rash moves.

As for the seal, Zhu Yunwen held it even more tightly.

The appointment, removal, promotion, and demotion of officials are all at his discretion.

He also tightly controlled the power of supervision over the court and its officials.

He held all five powers in one person.

Zhu Yunwen felt confident that he could easily suppress anyone who dared to oppose him.

It was as if he had crushed an insignificant ant.

However, despite his immense power, when he looked at the deeply entrenched bureaucrats and the incredibly wealthy gentry, a sense of apprehension involuntarily arose in his heart.

These people are like huge interest groups, colluding with each other and deeply entrenched.

The energy they unleash when they unite is beyond imagination.

Compared to them, even Zhu Yunwen, the emperor who ruled the world, felt a sense of loneliness and desolation.

Faced with this complex situation, he kept pondering it in his mind.

Is all of this a real predicament, or just a fantasy born from the fear deep within my heart?

He began to envision all sorts of possible crises.

If the imperial court's finances are in dire straits, the treasury is empty, and there is no money to be used...

If the Ming army were no longer an invincible force on the battlefield, but instead suffered a series of defeats and its morale plummeted...

If the people of the world are suffering from hunger and cold, with no clothes to cover their bodies and no food to fill their stomachs...

If he cannot wield absolute power in the court, his decrees cannot be effectively implemented...

If any of these crises were to occur, and he were to forcefully push forward with reforms, he would be dancing on the edge of a precipice, which could very likely threaten the stability of the regime and even drag the entire Ming Dynasty into an abyss of no return.

However, upon calming down and examining the situation closely, Zhu Yunwen had to admit that all these terrible crises were currently only in his imagination and had not actually occurred.

Or rather, none of this would have happened under his rule.

So he actually had nothing to worry about at all!
One of the key reasons why reforms in various dynasties have been so difficult and mostly ended in failure is that reforms were often only undertaken when the country had long been plagued by deep-seated problems and had reached a dead end, leaving no other option but to take desperate measures.

To put it bluntly, if there were other options, rulers would have little incentive to carry out so-called major reforms.

Humans are inherently lazy, preferring to follow established paths and disliking instability.

The same applies to nations.

Only when a crisis occurs will there be the motivation to drive reform.

That's why there's the saying "crisis is an opportunity".

It's not because the crisis actually offers any turning point, but because the crisis leaves people with no other options, forcing them to change course!
If we're living a good life, who wants to implement reforms?
Wouldn't it be better to proceed step by step?

Under normal circumstances, the country has no real incentive to reform.

But to make changes only when a crisis occurs is like giving a terminally ill patient strong medicine; a slight misstep could directly cost the patient their life.

But the situation in the Ming Dynasty at this time was completely different.

Unlike some dynasties that are terminally ill, the Ming Dynasty is now showing a thriving scene.

Zhu Yunwen initiated this matter out of his own initiative, unlike those rulers who were forced into reform due to desperation.

Therefore, the risks he faced were naturally much lower than those faced by dynasties with deep-seated problems when they carried out reforms.

Historically, there has never been a precedent where a powerful dynasty, at its peak, fell into turmoil or even perished simply because it actively implemented positive reforms.

Zhu Yunwen couldn't help but ask himself if he had exaggerated the risks of this matter.

The Ming Dynasty of today is no longer the Ming Dynasty of the past.

Currently, it is difficult to find people who are starving throughout the entire Ming Dynasty.

Those bureaucrats and gentry who attempt to oppose them can only resort to two methods to stir up trouble.

The first is to seize power.

However, there were no powerful ministers controlling the government, nor did any general with military power dare to openly oppose him.

Political and military power were firmly in Zhu Yunwen's hands.

He sent all the adult members of the royal family overseas.

The rest either had already died, or like King Zhou, had become fugitives, or were still young and had not yet reached adulthood.

In this situation, who could possibly shake the foundations of his power?
Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, Emperor Zhu is still in charge of the inner palace.

These are undoubtedly another layer of impenetrable insurance. This path is blocked for them.

Secondly, they incited the people to cause trouble, and even encouraged rebellion.

Throughout history, there have been very few instances of peasant uprisings successfully overthrowing dynasties.

The vast majority of uprisings were ultimately suppressed without mercy.

Even in the few instances where success could be considered a narrow victory, the fruits of victory were often seized by other forces, rather than by the peasantry at the bottom of society.

Those people who participated in the rebellion not only failed to defy fate, but many also lost their lives in vain, gaining nothing, let alone realizing their original dreams.

They merely became stepping stones for a few schemers, as well as bureaucrats and gentry who sought to overthrow the regime, to seize power.

In the end, victory still belongs to the latter.

Throughout history, among peasant uprising leaders, only a handful have managed to climb from the bottom to the pinnacle of power like Zhu De.

The rest are basically doing the work for others.

However, upon closer examination from a different perspective, it must be acknowledged that inciting the people to cause trouble or even rebel was the most effective means for officials and gentry to resist the imperial court.

Their repeated chanting of "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it" was not out of concern for the people, but rather a way to pressure the emperor and force him to act in accordance with their will.

Otherwise, they will deliberately stir up trouble and truly put into practice the saying "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

Throughout history, whenever peasant rebellions succeeded, it was inseparable from the covert "cooperation" of these officials and gentry, as well as their opportunistic "profiteering" when the time was right.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang's rise to power was due to the incessant infighting within the Yuan Dynasty's ruling class, which led to the disintegration of the ruling group. Otherwise, how easy would it have been for Zhu to succeed?
The emperor's apprehension towards officials and gentry stemmed from his fear of their influence in this area.

However, the key prerequisite for this method to be effective is the existence of a large number of people at the bottom of society who are starving and easily swayed by others.

These people had long struggled to survive under immense oppression, and their hearts were filled with endless resentment towards the "imperial court" and the world.

However, they were outnumbered and outgunned, and powerless to resist.

At this point, as long as some powerful "bureaucrat" or "gentry" steps forward, bestows some small favors upon them, and then raises his arms and shouts: "I will lead you in rebellion, overthrow this court, and overthrow this old world!"

These long-suppressed people will gather like dark clouds in response to the call, rising up in unison.

Throughout the long history of feudal dynasties spanning thousands of years, these people from the lower classes who never had enough to eat have always existed extensively and have never completely disappeared.

This is why, at any time, officials and gentry could use this to confront the central dynasty and bargain with the emperor.

Many times, the emperor had no choice but to compromise with them.

Ironically, this compromise meant yielding to the interests of bureaucrats and gentry, which was tantamount to imposing even harsher oppression on the common people.

By inciting the real threat of rebellion among the common people, the aim is to further exploit and oppress them. This is a truly horrifying and hellish joke.

But the cruel reality is exactly like this!
However, the environment and soil that were unchanged for thousands of years have undergone earth-shattering changes.

Under Zhu Yunwen's rule, for the first time ever, ordinary people were able to eat their fill, and there were no more people starving to death or suffering from hunger.

Their lives, like the vibrant green shoots of spring, are transforming for the better day by day.

This change is rapid and real, and everyone can truly perceive it in the little things of their own lives.

In the past, officials and gentry, relying on their prestige and power in the local area, could easily incite starving people to risk their lives and be used as weapons for rebellion with just a shout from a high place.

But times have changed.

If anyone were to attempt the same old tricks again, the people's first reaction would not be blind following, nor would they impulsively fight the court or the world. They would not hesitate to report to the court and break free from the coercion and control of those with ulterior motives.

People's hearts have been completely turned upside down!
Without the support of the common people, what means could those officials and gentry use to resist the imperial court? And on what basis could they bargain with the imperial court?
In reality, they have long been nothing more than a paper tiger, all bark and no bite.

It has a beautiful exterior but is incredibly fragile inside.

Those ambitious schemers no longer have a stage to carry out their plots.

I was simply stuck in my old ways of thinking and failed to notice this huge change in time, which is why I overestimated their strength.

As a result, they are hesitant and timid in their actions, and dare not carry out reforms boldly!
In fact, the world has already been transformed, and the giant hand that changed the world is himself.

The drought has now been relieved, and judging from the current situation, this year's grain output will not see a significant reduction.

In addition, the previous vigorous reclamation of wasteland and construction of water conservancy projects have significantly increased the sown area, and agricultural technology has also made great strides. Perhaps the total national grain output will actually increase.

Not to mention, there will be a steady stream of grain imports from the East and the South Seas.

In the coming years, with more water conservancy facilities put into use and a series of advanced technologies such as seed selection, cultivation, fertilization, and pesticides being widely promoted and applied, grain production will continue to rise.

Moreover, in the near future, new crops will be brought back from the New World, injecting new vitality into agricultural development.

As the common people lived a life of plenty, the power of officials and gentry was gradually and unconsciously weakened.

Without the support of the common people for their conspiracy, they are like rootless duckweed, nothing at all.

Only when the people are well-fed and clothed can we truly have the confidence to implement reforms!

This is the true meaning of "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world"!

He himself, the emperor who had the support of millions of people, was invincible!
But if it weren't for Xie Jin's words today, he really wouldn't have realized this.

The time is ripe for reform!
Upon thinking of this, Zhu Yunwen was overjoyed and cupped his hands, saying, "People say there is great terror between life and death, but Mr. Xie is not afraid of life and death. Such a noble character is something I admire."

Then he added, "Mr. Xie's words today have enlightened me greatly. Thank you for your guidance!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Jin was slightly taken aback.

He could understand when the other party said they were "noble."

But what does it mean that he "suddenly understood"?
This is nothing more than idle chatter and "pointing out the flaws in the world" during leisure time!

Although the person who spoke was indeed risking angering the emperor.

But to him, the listener, it was nothing more than a long-winded discussion that he could listen to for the time being.

He's not the emperor, so this matter has nothing to do with him. What's with all this talk of sudden enlightenment?

This person is very strange!

Just then, shouts came from outside: "Where is Xie Jin? Xie Jin, come out and face your death!"

As soon as the voice fell, a group of fierce-looking men rushed in from outside.

……

(End of this chapter)