Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 436 A Revolutionary Step!
"Your Majesty's method is indeed ingenious, bringing the yamen runners into the formal management system of the court. The idea is truly brilliant."

"However, this move involves a wide range of issues. I am worried that if it is implemented suddenly, it may exacerbate the problem of redundant officials and staff, and the court's financial burden will inevitably become strained and unbearable."

After a moment of silence, Zhan Hui spoke first.

Xia Yuanji also bowed and said, "For a long time, the expenditures of local governments have often lacked order, and they have been squandered at will without any restraint."

"If we can have officials at all levels establish a national treasury in the Ming Bank and separate revenue and expenditure into two separate lines, this method is indeed quite ingenious and worthy of praise."

"However, if all the yamen runners were incorporated into the official system of the imperial court, the required expenditures would inevitably surge, and it would be no small matter."

"In my opinion, if this policy is to be implemented, it should be done step by step and not rushed, lest the foundation be unstable and chaos ensues."

As a key official in charge of the Daming Bank, Xia Yuanji paid special attention to the flow of every tael of silver.

Zhu Yunwen's gaze darkened slightly: "Your concerns are not without merit. However, you must know that in the past, the local government officials did not receive salaries from the court on the surface, but in reality, they used their power to extort money from the people. The wealth they amassed was far more than a small amount. These actions have long been contrary to justice."

"Now, I wish to put all of this back on track, simply to restore it to its original state. Reform is imperative, and there is absolutely no reason to back down."

Then, he looked at Xia Yuanji, his tone softening slightly, with a hint of approval: "However, what you said is not entirely unreasonable. The national treasury will do as much practical work as it has. I never expect to achieve everything in one fell swoop."

"The key to this matter is to seek progress while maintaining stability, and to gradually improve the system until all government offices in the country are under the legitimate jurisdiction of the imperial court."

Zhu Yunwen had long planned for this, knowing that incorporating yamen runners into the formal system was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

He never imagined that a single imperial decree could transform all the yamen runners into "officials" of the court. Such a hasty move would not only be useless but would also increase chaos.

The real intention was to use the guise of "promotion" to gradually regulate the behavior of government officials and restrain their unruly conduct.

As long as the imperial court releases the news that yamen runners will be ranked alongside officials and incorporated into the formal system, those who seek personal gain will restrain their behavior for the sake of this "iron rice bowl," consciously abide by the law, and dare not exploit the people as recklessly as before, or even prey on the local people.

At the same time, this reform also bought the imperial court valuable time to adjust.

Local officials can take this opportunity to thoroughly examine and investigate existing yamen runners, removing those who are morally corrupt and commit wrongdoing from the ranks, ensuring that this team can truly serve the people in the future, rather than becoming a new shackle on their heads.

"Your subject agrees!" Yang Rong spoke first, his voice respectful yet firm.

“Your subject has no objection!” Yao Guangxiao followed closely behind, his tone as steady as a bell.

After a moment's thought, Zhan Hui cupped his hands and said, "Since Your Majesty intends to proceed step by step and act within your means, I have no objection."

Seeing that all the ministers had agreed, Wang Zuo's eyes flickered slightly, as if he hesitated for a moment, but in the end he bowed his head respectfully and said, "Your subject seconds the motion."

Although his tone was slightly hesitant, he dared not go against the wishes of His Majesty and the others at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen smiled faintly and said, "Since none of you have any objections, let's settle this matter here."

Immediately, his gaze fell on Xia Yuanji, and his tone became slightly somber, carrying a hint of solemnity: "Minister Xia, the Great Ming Bank is of paramount importance in this reform. The establishment of the national treasury and the implementation of the separation of revenue and expenditure both rely on the overall planning and coordination of the Great Ming Bank, and there must be no mistakes whatsoever. This matter must be handled properly and thoroughly."

Xia Yuanji quickly bowed and said, "Your subject will do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's high expectations!"

In fact, compared to the gradual reform of the yamen system, the real core of this new policy lies in establishing a national treasury and dividing fiscal revenue and expenditure in two.

As long as we firmly control the local purse strings and cut off the source of wealth that the officials can freely extort from the people, their behavior will naturally be restrained, and management will become much easier.

Surprisingly, none of the ministers present raised any objection to the proposal to separate revenue and expenditure.

The reason for this is that the central government of the Ming Dynasty had long implemented a system of separating income and expenditure.

The expenses required by each department were all allocated by the Ministry of Revenue. No matter how powerful the Ministry of Personnel was, it would never be possible for them to openly extort money from the people like local yamen runners.

Only local governments confuse financial revenue and expenditure, leading to widespread chaos.

As key ministers in the central government, these officials naturally welcomed stricter control over local governments, reducing their space for arbitrary actions.

Therefore, no one objected to this new policy as soon as it was proposed.

However, Zhu Yunwen knew very well that this seemingly smooth decision would inevitably encounter numerous obstacles if it were to be implemented at the local level.

Those local officials, who had long been accustomed to the benefits of financial chaos, would not be willing to surrender when their lifeline was suddenly cut off.

However, these are all things of the past.

As long as you keep pressing down layer by layer, things will eventually become clear.

Then, he took a deep breath: "The fourth new policy that I intend to implement is to completely abolish the current distinctions between military, civilian, artisan, merchant, stove-making, monk, Taoist, and musician household registrations, and to eliminate the system of lowly status."

"From this day forward, all citizens of my Great Ming Dynasty are my children, and there will be no more lowly people under heaven!"

The household registration system of the Ming Dynasty was extremely strict.

People from different household registrations are absolutely not allowed to engage in other types of professions, and this rule has been passed down through generations and is unbreakable.

For example, the sons of military households are destined to inherit their fathers' military uniforms and go to the battlefield; the descendants of artisans can only hold tools and spend their lives with knives, axes, saws and chisels.

Similarly, musicians, yin-yang practitioners, and doctors are all bound by their respective destinies as if by ironclad law, unable to deviate even by a single step.

This system is, on the one hand, inherited from the Yuan Dynasty.

Under the rule of the Yuan dynasty, the people of the land were divided into three, six, and nine classes, with strict hierarchies and clear distinctions.

On the other hand, the Ming Dynasty's strengthening of this was actually due to Zhu Yuanzhang's profound considerations.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's mind, if the Ming Dynasty was to last for thousands of generations and have an everlasting foundation, the only way was to ensure that the social order remained as firm as a rock.

The sons of farmers till the fields for generations; the descendants of merchants are forever busy in the marketplace... Each is content with their place and fulfills their responsibilities. All people in the world are like chess pieces on a chessboard, following the rules and remaining perfectly orderly.

Only in this way can the country be stable and the imperial power endure.

Perhaps those at the bottom will angrily ask: "Why should things not change? Why should we remain at the bottom forever, unable to rise up?"

These words came from the bottom of my heart, filled with resentment, and were a wake-up call.

However, this is nothing more than the blood and tears of ordinary people.

From the perspective of the ruling class, the answer is quite the opposite.

They wish everyone's position were permanently fixed, without the slightest fluctuation.

If serfs were to rise up and sing, and the lower classes were to rise above the upper classes, then a catastrophe of upheaval and dynastic change would befall the land.

Only by keeping everything unchanged can the interests of the powerful elites be guaranteed to be as solid as a rock.

However, in Zhu Yunwen's eyes, this was nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of the ruler, a beautiful fantasy that ran counter to reality.

He was meticulous and had foreseen this long ago. Why?

It sounds simple: it's about people's innate talents, and how we are born different.

People are born with varying heights, weights, appearances, intelligences, and folly.

Admittedly, the children of officials and the descendants of wealthy families, thanks to their privileged upbringing, enjoy excellent educational resources from a young age. Through constant exposure and nurturing, their abilities often surpass those of ordinary people.

But this "overcoming" only applies compared to ordinary people at the bottom of society.

The number of people at the bottom is vast, like a sea of ​​smoke, but among them, there are always a few exceptionally talented individuals who stand out.

These "outliers," even without the guidance of renowned teachers or the comforts of a life of luxury, rely solely on their innate talents. Once they reach adulthood, they are able to display their brilliance and easily crush the mediocre among the rich and powerful.

So, among the descendants of wealthy families and officials, are there any exceptionally gifted individuals?

There are certainly many such people.

However, the emergence of geniuses is not absolutely related to acquired resources, but depends more on the size of the population base.

Human ingenuity will eventually tend towards a certain equilibrium.

As the saying goes, "Like begets like," this refers to the superficial differences created by one's circumstances, which are common among ordinary people, but are not a true reflection of innate talent.

In this world, there are both privileged children with mediocre talent who enjoy the fruits of others' labor, and talented individuals from humble backgrounds who shine brightly despite being in dire straits.

The household registration system may confine the physical body, but it can never imprison the human heart and destiny.

Human beings are, in essence, of the same kind, not distinct species.

This leads to the conclusion that even among the sons of wealthy families and descendants of officials, there are many exceptionally talented individuals, but their numbers pale in comparison to the extraordinary talents emerging from the vast sea of ​​people at the bottom of society.

If it's just about suppressing ordinary people at the bottom of society and giving them no hope of turning their lives around, then it's not a big deal.

After all, most ordinary people are mediocre, and even if they are unwilling, they can hardly break free from the shackles of fate given their talents and circumstances.

However, if even the most gifted talents at the bottom have nowhere to turn, then the trouble will be much greater.

This is tantamount to digging one's own grave and sowing the seeds of disaster.

As ordinary people, the mediocre children of the rich and powerful, having been immersed in superior education and resources since childhood, possess abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people at the bottom of society. It is no exaggeration to say that they are ten or even a hundred times more capable.

However, when they faced those naturally gifted and talented "outliers" from the lower classes, they were as vulnerable as dust and paled in comparison.

If Huang Chao is not allowed to open the door to the imperial examinations in Chang'an, he will raise his sword and lead his troops to storm Chang'an!
The household registration system can only confine the average person among the masses.

Ironically, even without this system to restrain them, this group would hardly have the power to manipulate events, so there is no need to worry about them threatening the stability of the regime.

Those truly powerful geniuses cannot be confined by mere household registration status!
Therefore, the household registration system that divides people into different classes is actually useless and only has a superficial appearance.

On the surface, it seems to be maintaining the stability of the system, but in reality, it serves no purpose other than exacerbating conflicts and sowing hidden dangers.

Moreover, if the Ming Dynasty wants to move towards industrialization, it needs to rely on a large number of freely mobile laborers, and the rigid household registration barrier has long been a shackle that hinders its progress.

Abolishing this system is imperative.

In fact, a series of new policies previously implemented by Zhu Yunwen had quietly shaken the foundation of the household registration system.

For example, after the business ban was relaxed, the business registration system had long since become a mere shell, existing in name only.

For example, with the rise of the new army, the selection of the best recruits replaced the old hereditary system, and the military households of the garrisons collapsed, and the name of military registration almost became a thing of the past.

These changes, like a gentle spring breeze and nourishing rain, have already paved the way for today's radical transformation.

However, the far-reaching impact of completely eradicating household registration restrictions and breaking down old barriers is still awe-inspiring.

As soon as Zhu Yunwen finished speaking, Yao Guangxiao stood up first, his voice loud and firm: "Your Majesty is benevolent and kind-hearted. This action benefits all people and all nations. I wholeheartedly agree!"

His eyes were bright, subtly revealing the compassionate spirit of a high-ranking monk who embodies empathy for all humanity.

"I second that!" Yang Rong followed closely behind, his tone resounding.

The new learning movement swept across the government and the public, and its core concept of "public good" took root in people's hearts.

If we speak of the greater good, how can we allow the distinction between "lowly people" to exist in the world?

Zhu Yunwen's move, though shocking, was not abrupt; it was in line with the teachings of the new school, and everyone had already understood it.

Only Wang Zuo's expression changed slightly, his brows furrowed. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's benevolence is evident, and you have compassion for the common people. However, since ancient times, the distinction between the noble and the lowly has been the fundamental principle."

"If this system is abolished rashly, I fear that the people will lose their support, order will collapse, and the world may fall into chaos."

"I implore Your Majesty to reconsider your actions."

"I believe that Your Excellency's words are wrong." As soon as Wang Zuo finished speaking, Yang Shiqi immediately objected: "I believe that a person's moral character has little to do with his social status."

"As the old saying goes, 'A hero's origins are not important.' Judging a person by their family background is a biased view."

“Looking at history, how many children from humble backgrounds, born into poverty, have aspired to great things, possessed outstanding virtues, and even achieved great success and left their mark on history.”

"On the contrary, there are also powerful and wealthy families who live in luxury but are of low character and become a laughing stock for future generations."

"This is sufficient proof that character is determined by one's temperament and nature, and cannot be determined by one's birth."

"The late emperor came from humble origins, yet he was able to gain the empire."

“If the court insists on determining social status and rank based solely on birth, then talented individuals from humble backgrounds will have no way to advance, and will only breed resentment. If this continues, it may shake the foundation of the nation.”

"On the contrary, if we do not restrict people by social status and allow heroes from humble backgrounds to display their talents, then the people will be drawn to us, loyal and righteous people will emerge in large numbers, and the stability of the country can be expected."

"Therefore, if we wish to secure the Ming Dynasty, we should value talent and virtue over social status, for this is the way to ensure long-term stability and peace."

"Your Majesty's abolition of the household registration system is precisely to give those of lowly birth a way to survive."

"If everyone can freely change jobs, then even if there are unexpected changes, they will not be left with no way out and will have no choice but to take risks."

"This move benefits the country and its people, and it will ensure the stability of the nation. What's wrong with it?"

……

(End of this chapter)