Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 576 The Beacon of Civilization! Customs that Crush the People!
It should be noted that while the promotion of new learning and science has been smooth, the feudal traditions that have been ingrained for thousands of years should not be underestimated.

Even if they temporarily cease their activities due to the prevailing trend, they can still profoundly influence the thoughts of countless people.

The faster the reforms are implemented, the more intense the clashes of ideas will be.

The brilliance of Zhu Yunwen's move lies in the fact that even though his opponents knew he was using the emperor's name to implement his own new policies, they had no choice but to accept it.

In addition, Zhu Yunwen had even longer-term plans.

That is to spread the "theory of sages" overseas.

"Science" is a unique treasure of the Ming Dynasty, while "sage" is a symbol that can be accepted by the whole world.

Zhu Yunwen emphasized that if neighboring countries wanted to be as wealthy and powerful as the Ming Dynasty, the first thing they should learn was not science and new learning, but the old traditions of Confucius!

This is not only the Ming Dynasty's propaganda stance to the outside world, but also a "universal truth" repeatedly emphasized by the imperial court.

Cultural expansion is a key step in enhancing the international influence of the Ming Dynasty.

To win the hearts and minds of the people of all nations and earn their sincere admiration, it is essential to make them believe that the Ming Dynasty is the beacon of civilization.

Therefore, Zhu Yunwen's personal worship of Confucius as the emperor was the most powerful gesture and a significant form of external propaganda.

The Ming Dynasty itself might not believe in these Confucian "universal truths," or it might merely pretend to believe them, wearing the skin of Confucianism while practicing science, but it was imperative to make other countries believe them.

This is also the key to the Ming Dynasty's continued leadership.

……

Having learned from the experience in Henan, this time in Shandong, only Governor Li Chongwen, Inspector Wang Shoulian, and their direct subordinate officials were there to welcome the emperor.

Apart from the prefects and magistrates of the prefectures and counties where they were located, no other officials came forward.

The officialdom in Henan was turned upside down after the emperor's inspection tour, all starting with the collective reception of the emperor by officials from the entire province.

Even if Shandong officials are slow-witted, they are unlikely to make the same foolish mistake as those in Henan and bring trouble upon themselves.

After performing the grand welcoming ceremony, Zhu Yunwen inquired about the administration in Shandong.

Governor Li Chongwen immediately stepped forward and answered fluently:
"Since I took office as the governor of Shandong, I have been following His Majesty's will and have vigorously promoted 'new learning' and 'science' throughout the province."

"Over the years, a total of four new schools and science lecture halls have been built, and 571 schools of various types have been established."

"There are a total of 683 newly built large-scale factories."

"Fifty-two reservoirs were built within the territory, and one hundred and six cement roads were paved, including six national highways and provincial highways..."

He recounted the things he had accomplished during his tenure with great familiarity.

The number of schools built, factories established, reservoirs dug, post roads paved, fiscal revenue increased, and wasteland reclaimed was listed in detail, including the acreage and yield of crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn introduced.

That practiced ease suggested that he had recited it countless times in his mind.

There's a saying that goes, "Officials are produced by numbers, and numbers are produced by officials."

This means that if an official wants to have achievements, he must be able to provide concrete figures as evidence.

Although Li Chongwen did not serve as an official in later generations, he was well-versed in this art and brought its essence to its fullest extent.

He could readily cite various figures related to his political achievements.

However, Zhu Yunwen did not feel disgusted by this.

If this were in later generations, he would likely look down on officials who pile up political achievements with numbers.

But for now, it is still the Ming Dynasty. Although he is pushing forward with reforms, most of his officials are Confucian scholars who have always preferred empty talk about literature and morality. They are often numb and insensitive to concrete figures and specific achievements.

When it comes to being an official, the greatest insight of these Confucian scholars is not how to promote what is beneficial and eliminate what is harmful, or how to actually do something concrete, but rather how to "influence" the people with so-called moral principles and literary works.

In a self-sufficient feudal agricultural society, the government has always advocated governing by doing nothing.

An official is considered an honest official as long as he does not disturb the people and allows them to live in peace.

Even if someone spends all day talking about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom, without doing anything practical, they may not be considered incompetent.

This is actually the "way of being an official" in the traditional feudal era.

The more "honest" an official is, the more they like this.

But now, under Zhu Yunwen's leadership, the Ming Dynasty is undergoing a rapid transformation. What the court needs is no longer empty talkers, but capable officials who dare to take responsibility, are good at taking action, and can implement reforms in a bold and decisive manner.

In contrast, officials like Li Chongwen, who advocated politics based on "numbers," were more to Emperor Zhu Yunwen's liking.

At the very least, he would take concrete actions and do some practical things to achieve his political achievements, which is the result Zhu Yunwen wanted.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad!"

Li Chongwen recounted his achievements one by one, and Zhu Yunwen nodded repeatedly in approval. "If what you have said is true, then Shandong is indeed thriving under your governance, and I am very pleased."

Li Chongwen felt a sense of relief and immediately prostrated himself on the ground, his voice firm and respectful:
"Your Majesty has been kind enough to promote me to the position of Governor of Shandong, allowing me to govern this region."

"Your subject will do his utmost to govern Shandong diligently and conscientiously, so as to live up to the trust placed in him by the court and the grace of His Majesty!"

Zhu Yunwen laughed loudly, waved for him to stand up, and said:
"It's good that you have this intention. As long as you serve the court wholeheartedly, I will never treat you unfairly."

Having said that, he turned his gaze to Wang Shoulian, the Shandong Provincial Inspector, who had remained silent until now, and said:
"Minister Wang, do you have something to report?"

Previously, Li Chongwen had been talking non-stop, while Wang Shoulian stood aside and remained silent, creating a stark contrast between the two.

Only when the emperor called his name did Wang Shoulian react, bowing respectfully.

"Your Majesty, Governor Li has done an excellent job in governing Shandong, and I admire him greatly."

"As the imperial inspector, my primary responsibility is to supervise the conduct of all officials in Shandong."

He paused for a moment, then continued:
"Forgive my bluntness, but Shandong's economy has indeed developed rapidly in the past two years."

"People who used to go hungry now have almost every household with surplus grain, and food and clothing are no longer a problem."

"There are no more corpses of starving people lying in the fields."

"Even when the Yellow River breached its banks and the disaster was devastating, the relief efforts were carried out in an orderly manner."

"The disaster victims are all able to get food and clothing, and no longer suffer from hunger and cold."

"This is due to His Majesty's virtuous rule and also to Governor Li's remarkable achievements in governing Shandong."

"This one thing alone can be called an unparalleled achievement!"

Wang Shoulian's tone shifted, his brows furrowing:

"However, behind the achievements, there are also hidden concerns."

"Shandong's economy is booming and its people are well-fed and clothed, but people's hearts are no longer as simple and honest as they used to be."

“In the past, Shandong was the hometown of Confucius and Mencius, with strict etiquette and laws, and people’s hearts were inclined to goodness.”

"But now the atmosphere has changed drastically, and almost everyone is driven by profit, with money being the only goal."

"If we do not take precautions soon, this trend will spread more and more rapidly and could lead to a major disaster."

At this point, his voice suddenly rose several decibels, and his expression became increasingly agitated:
"Nowadays, Shandong has gradually developed a custom of 'laughing at poverty but not at prostitution'!"

"As long as one can make money, even becoming a prostitute is seen as a skill, and people will flock to it." "Conversely, if one is poor and chaste, even if one is virtuous, one is often looked down upon and ridiculed as incompetent."

“In the past, when Shandong married off their daughters, the first thing to consider when choosing a son-in-law was his manners and character, while wealth and poverty were secondary.”

"Nowadays, the world has changed. People often demand exorbitant dowries, asking only for money and not for virtue."

"It's less like marrying off a daughter and more like selling her!"

Wang Shoulian's words grew increasingly vehement, expressing his deep anguish and indignation:

"Such unhealthy trends are not isolated incidents, but rather emerge one after another."

"Although it does not immediately cause people to be displaced, it has a subtle and profound influence on people's hearts and minds."

“If this continues, the people will prioritize profit over integrity and morality. How can we then talk about the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, or about the very foundation of the nation?”

Wang Shoulian bowed deeply, his voice heavy: "I believe this is no small matter! If the court does not pay attention to it, and if Your Majesty does not see the truth, I am afraid that the Ming Dynasty's empire will gradually be shaken by the corruption of its people."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen's brows furrowed slowly.

He was not unaware of the drastic changes in social customs during the Ming Dynasty.

The intelligence sent back by the intelligence bureau and the memorials of many ministers all mentioned similar issues.

Zhu Yunwen already knew what was going on.

This trend was not accidental, but an inevitable product of the Ming Dynasty's social transformation.

The transition from the rigid patriarchal order of feudal society to an industrial structure dominated by capital, with society pursuing profit and everyone looking towards money, was a natural progression.

In the eyes of the old literati, such a dramatic change in social customs was nothing short of another form of "the collapse of rites and music".

If he hadn't used "profit" as bait to allow landlords and gentry to also share in the benefits of this reform, the path of reform would probably have already encountered fierce resistance and backlash.

Pursuing profit and money is not entirely a bad thing.

At least at this critical juncture of transition, it can indeed stimulate production, unleash potential, and propel the Ming Dynasty forward.

However, the accompanying side effects should not be underestimated.

Customs are becoming increasingly decadent, people are restless, and the sense of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame is gradually being lost.

If the imperial court ignores this, it will only gradually shake the foundation of society.

Therefore, it is necessary to correct the deviation in public opinion guidance from time to time, so as to prevent the social atmosphere from completely deteriorating and keep people's hearts on a relatively benign track.

Zhu Yunwen collected his thoughts and slowly asked, "In your opinion, how should the court handle this?"

Wang Shoulian immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed, then took out a memorial from his robes, raised it high above his head with both hands, and spoke earnestly:
"Your Majesty, I humbly submit this memorial, requesting the court to allocate funds for the reconstruction of the Temple of Confucius, and also requesting Your Majesty to personally visit Qufu to offer sacrifices to the Sage, so as to uphold the orthodoxy of Confucianism and rectify the morals of the world!"

Zhu Yunwen was slightly taken aback, then nodded with a smile: "What you say is very true. I had this intention in mind when I came to Shandong."

Wang Shoulian was overjoyed upon hearing this, and repeatedly kowtowed, his forehead hitting the ground with a resounding thud, exclaiming excitedly, "Your Majesty is wise and benevolent, a blessing for all generations!"

Zhu Yunwen gazed at him silently, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

Wang Shoulian's memorial appeared flawless, in accordance with propriety and the times.

However, Zhu Yunwen had a clear understanding in his heart that Wang Shoulian's actions were probably not as simple as he claimed, and there might be another hidden intention behind them.

However, since the other party was so tight-lipped, Zhu Yunwen didn't bother to press further and instead asked about another matter of greater concern.

"You just mentioned that demanding exorbitant dowries for daughters' weddings has become a common and harmful custom. Is this true?"

He already had this in mind.

Previously, Xi Zhaoxue had blocked the road to file a complaint because her younger brother was asked to pay an exorbitant dowry when he was preparing to get married.

Now that the dignified Shandong Provincial Inspector has spoken to him in person, how can he not pay extra attention?
Wang Shoulian bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed true."

“In recent years, in folk marriages, people often do not care about the character or wisdom of the person, but only about the amount of the dowry.”

"The more dowry is demanded, the more honor the bride's family feels, and they are praised by their relatives, friends, and neighbors for their ability, which they take great pride in."

"On the contrary, if the betrothal gifts are meager, people will immediately ridicule them, calling it 'losing money on the wedding,' and even cursing the family for giving birth to a daughter as if she were a worthless commodity, which is extremely embarrassing."

"If this trend continues, every family will refuse to marry without a huge dowry."

“Those men of marriageable age would not hesitate to exhaust their family’s savings or even pawn their property in order to raise dowry.”

"Even worse, it has become the norm to take on debt to get married."

Unable to borrow money from banks, they turned to loan sharks in the streets.

"When powerful and wealthy families saw that this was profitable, they openly set up so-called 'dowry loans' to extract hard-earned money from men and women through marriage."

"Once a man falls into this trap, the interest accumulates layer upon layer, compounding and compounding, making it impossible for him to escape for the rest of his life."

He paused, his expression growing even more indignant: "What's even more despicable is that some prostitutes who were not originally from respectable families have infiltrated the ranks, using marriage as a pretext to commit fraud."

Once the betrothal gifts are received, they will flee far away and disappear without a trace.

"Now that the court is implementing new policies, population migration is unrestricted, and once they escape to other places, it is almost impossible to track them down."

"There are also some troublesome families who, although they do not elope, cause trouble under false pretenses, forcibly default on their debts, and keep the betrothal gifts for themselves, refusing to fulfill their marriage obligations."

"Countless people have been ruined by this type of fraud."

"Among them, some people rose up in anger and killed people in revenge, resulting in tragic deaths."

Such chaotic phenomena are emerging one after another.

Zhu Yunwen raised an eyebrow and asked in a deep voice, "Since you know that the marriage customs are corrupt and have serious consequences, are the Shandong government completely helpless?"

"Have you not considered a way to deal with this?"

Wang Shoulian hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive us! This is not due to our incompetence."

"Weddings and funerals are folk customs. If the government forcibly intervenes, it is easy to cause resentment and achieve half the result with twice the effort."

"Moreover, the laws of the Ming Dynasty do not stipulate anything on this matter."

"Although their actions were despicable, they were not illegal, so the government could not intervene at will."

"Previously, although I punished a few scoundrels who used the pretense of 'marrying off their daughters' to swindle people, bringing them to justice and imposing severe penalties, it was ultimately just a drop in the ocean and could not reverse the overall trend."

After a moment's thought, he added, "This custom is not unique to Shandong."

"As far as I know, the situation in the provinces south of the Yangtze River is even worse than in Shandong."

"The dowries from Jiangxi and Fujian are far higher than those from Shandong, which is astonishing."

"Ordinary people need not be told, even officials and gentry families dare not easily talk about taking a wife."

"The matter of getting married has become a heavy burden that has crushed the family's social standing."

……

(End of this chapter)