Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 578 Zhu Yunwen's Imperial Mindset! A New Strategy!
In this era, giving one's own daughter to another man as a concubine was not something that ordinary poor families could easily do. The circumstances were nothing more than the following.

One possibility is that the world is in chaos, or there is a famine that has devastated the land.

At this time, countless people were displaced and lived in constant fear, and the clan laws that held together the local community also crumbled.

At the critical moment of life and death, propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame all become empty words.

If the parents hardened their hearts, they might exchange their daughter for a bag of food to survive at the human market.

At that time, a young woman's worth was as cheap as grass; a few taels of silver or even a string of copper coins could determine her life or buy a human life.

The second reason is that they were plotted against by local tyrants.

Those aristocratic families, insatiable in their desires, would set traps for anyone's daughter if they wanted to openly seize her, as it would be disgraceful. They would lure the girl's parents and elder brother into accumulating unpayable debts, ultimately forcing them to pay off their debts with their daughters, all under the guise of the principle of "paying back debts."

In such situations, clans are often intimidated by the tyranny of powerful gentry, or the people in power within the clan have already been bribed by them. Not only do they not dare to step forward, but they may even turn around and help the tyrant, forcing clan members to submit.

Besides the two mentioned above, if someone tries to sell their daughter for personal gain simply because of poverty, the clan's iron fist will be ruthlessly wielded.

In a society with a strict patriarchal system, the honor or disgrace of one family is the honor or disgrace of the entire clan.

Sending a daughter to be a concubine is to tarnish the family's reputation and make the entire clan unable to hold their heads high in front of their neighbors.

Just because you want to sell your daughter doesn't mean you'll be allowed to.

The elders of the ancestral hall would rather watch your family starve to death in seclusion than allow you to do such a disgraceful thing that corrupts the clan's reputation and tarnishes the ancestors' honor.

Personal life and death are minor matters; the reputation of the clan is of utmost importance.

Of course, there are always exceptions.

For example, she was kidnapped as a child and her background is unknown; or the man is so powerful and wealthy that the woman's family and even her entire clan cannot resist him and are even willing to attach themselves to him.

These are separate matters.

However, such cases are extremely rare.

In normal, peaceful years, without natural disasters or powerful schemes to frame or coerce, the price one would have to pay to take a respectable woman as a concubine would be staggeringly high.

How astonishing is this price?
In the novel *Dream of the Red Chamber*, Jia She, unable to take Yuanyang as a concubine, spent eight hundred taels of silver to buy another concubine.

Eight hundred taels of silver is the entire fortune that an ordinary middle-class family could accumulate by not eating or drinking for nearly eighty years.

This huge sum of money was not the woman's worth, but a "fig bill" used to compensate for the damage to her family's reputation and to silence public opinion.

Taking a woman from a respectable family as a concubine is essentially a humiliation to her family, and only immense wealth can barely cover up this disgrace.

Zhu Yunwen's laws saw through this, incisively equating "exorbitant dowries" with the utter disgrace of "sending a daughter as a concubine," thus completely severing the roots of those who attempted to profit from marrying off their daughters.

This is the art of ruling.

Not to mention, the imperial court itself had strict restrictions on taking concubines, which goes without saying.

Upon hearing this, Li Chongwen and Wang Shoulian were shocked and looked up in horror.

Upon seeing Zhu Yunwen's stern and cold face, the two opened their mouths simultaneously, only to find that any words of advice were stuck in their throats, leaving them speechless for a moment.

Only now did they truly understand that His Majesty's aversion to this pervasive corruption among the people was not merely ordinary, but rather a view of it as a malignant tumor threatening the very foundation of the nation. That was why he was willing to use drastic measures to establish such a ruthless law.

Just as the two were filled with emotion, Zhu Yunwen's voice rang out again:
"Marriage is a lifelong contract. Virtue is the most important factor, followed by character, so that the couple can live in harmony and grow old together."

"As for gold and silver betrothal gifts, they are merely worldly possessions, enough to express one's sentiments. Why put the cart before the horse?"

"As the saying goes, what the superiors do, the inferiors will follow; to change customs and habits, one must start from the top."

"My imperial relatives, officials, and nobles should set an example for the world!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he uttered a decree that froze the entire hall:

"By imperial decree: From this day forward, for all marriages within the Ming imperial family, the betrothal gifts and dowry shall be no more than five taels of silver, and no one shall exceed this limit!"

Upon hearing this, Li Chongwen and Wang Shoulian were struck dumb. The shock they had just felt had not yet subsided, and now they were completely speechless, their minds blank.

Five taels... silver?
They couldn't believe their ears.

His Majesty wants to set a limit on the amount of betrothal gifts for ordinary people. They originally thought that ten or twenty taels would be the limit.

For families of officials, it would be reasonable to relax the restrictions as appropriate.

After all, these days, betrothal gifts in the common people often amount to sixty or seventy taels of silver, and it is not uncommon for them to exceed one hundred taels.

But who could have predicted that His Majesty, with his supreme status, would set a mere five taels of silver as a betrothal gift for his own princes and princesses!

This...this is no longer a mere restriction order, but a thunderous strike that cuts off the very foundation of the situation!
If even the imperial family is like this, who among the princes, nobles, officials, and gentry would dare to surpass the imperial family in terms of betrothal gifts?
That would be a grave offense of "disrespect"!
As for ordinary people, it goes without saying.

This decree is tantamount to announcing to the world that the outdated practice of demanding betrothal gifts in marriage during the Ming Dynasty must be abolished!

Even if it still exists, it is merely a symbol in form.

"Your Majesty!" Li Chongwen suddenly snapped out of his daze, disregarding his breach of etiquette before the emperor, and rushed forward, pleading in a sorrowful voice, "Your Majesty, you must not!"

"The dignity of the imperial family is a matter of national character, and is not a trivial matter!"

"If we were to make a betrothal with a meager gift of five taels of silver, wouldn't that make the barbarians laugh at our court for being impolite, and the people of the world criticize our royal family for being stingy?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty wishes to rectify the customs of the people, which we admire greatly, but... but we must not allow this to harm Your Majesty or disrespect the dignity of the royal family!"

"It is our incompetence that has prevented Your Majesty from enlightening the people, leading to the corruption of social customs. We have to trouble Your Majesty to sacrifice your own reputation to awaken the world!"

"This is all our fault, and we deserve to die!"

After he finished speaking, he was already in tears, and he kowtowed heavily to the ground.

Wang Shoulian, who was standing to the side, also turned pale and followed closely behind, kneeling down to beg for forgiveness.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yunwen burst into laughter, his laughter revealing no sign of reluctance, but rather a sense of openness and candor.

"Feeling wronged? How could I feel wronged?"

He gestured for the two ministers to rise and said, “As the sage said, ‘In matters of etiquette, it is better to be frugal than extravagant; in matters of mourning, it is better to be solemn than casual.’ The same principle applies to matters of marriage.”

"The importance of marriage lies in finding a good partner and spending a lifetime together, not in the amount of gold and silver or the size of the dowry."

"This is my true intention, and it is the right path that I wish to show the world."

"The royal family sets an example by doing so, and seeks the truth. How can you talk about feeling wronged?"

"This matter is not disrespectful in any way, nor does it damage the face of the imperial family, so there is no need to discuss it further."

As soon as Zhu Yunwen finished speaking, Wang Shoulian, who had just stood up, bowed again and said, "Your Majesty is wise and has banned exorbitant betrothal gifts, which is truly a virtuous policy."

"However, I have a hidden concern that I must report."

He paused, as if the words that followed carried a thousand pounds of weight, "In the countryside of our country, the preference for sons over daughters is deeply ingrained."

“In the past, it was common for impoverished families to drown their newborn daughters in basins instead of raising them!”

"Such evil deeds, though intolerable under the law, occur in humble dwellings, making them difficult for outsiders to know and for the authorities to investigate."

"Whether it was death from illness or death caused by human intervention, it all depends on the decision of the biological parents."

"It wasn't until His Majesty ascended the throne, and the world was at peace, and the people were well-fed and clothed, that this trend was somewhat curbed." He said with a heavy heart, "Those exorbitant dowries, despite their many faults and drawbacks, also made some greedy parents feel that raising their daughters would bring them some reward in the future, thus saving their lives."

"It can be said that this greedy and vulgar act also saved countless baby girls!"

"If Your Majesty were to abolish all betrothal gifts now, I fear the old practice of spoiling daughters would be revived!"

Wang Shoulian's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over someone's head.

Zhu Yuntong's smile slowly faded, and his brows furrowed slightly.

He knew that everything Wang Shoulian said was true; it was a bloody reality.

It is also the cruelty of this era.

The so-called "preference for sons over daughters" is far more than a simple emotional preference that later generations imagine; rather, it is an ironclad rule engraved in the law and patriarchal system.

The most fundamental difference lies in succession.

If a family has only one daughter, she has almost no chance of inheriting the family business.

Unless a son-in-law is brought into the family and has a son to continue the family line.

Otherwise, even with vast wealth and thousands of acres of fertile land, they would only pass it on to their cousins ​​or even distant uncles and nephews according to their blood ties.

My daughter, from beginning to end, was nothing more than an outsider.

The world is ever-changing, and paradoxes are common.

This abnormally high dowry, in a sense, is a cruel backlash against the vulgar practice of drowning female infants.

When the scales become excessively unbalanced, the world will seek its own equilibrium in such a distorted and tragic way, amidst a century of bloodshed and tears.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, some counties and prefectures had a rampant problem of drowning female infants, resulting in men having no wives to marry and a surge in dowry prices.

Later, seeing that having daughters was profitable, parents gradually stopped spoiling their daughters, and the population balance was slowly restored.

But simply banning exorbitant dowries can lead to such consequences.

Zhu Yunwen did not agree.

Just as he was about to retort, Li Chongwen stepped forward and spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Prince's concerns regarding the inspection tour are perhaps unnecessary."

"The drowning of female infants in the past was certainly due to the prejudice of the world that favored sons over daughters, but the root cause was probably more about poverty."

Ultimately, it's because ordinary people don't have enough food to last overnight and can't afford to feed extra mouths.

He sighed deeply and said, "If we hadn't run out of food and had nowhere else to turn, tell me, what parent in the world would have the heart to immerse their own flesh and blood, which they carried for ten months, into cold water?"

"That was truly a heart-wrenching pain born of utter helplessness!"

"With only enough grain in the family to feed one child, keeping a male heir to carry on the family line became the only and cruel choice in this desperate situation."

"This is not the evil of human nature, but the sin of poverty."

After saying this, Li Chongwen's voice suddenly became louder, "Just as Lord Wang just said, since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has cleaned up the bureaucracy, allowed the people to rest and recuperate, and implemented new policies, with remarkable results."

"Now the people of our Great Ming Dynasty are well-fed and clothed, and the granaries are gradually filling up. The drowning of girls has almost disappeared in the countryside!"

"This is the most powerful proof!"

“As long as the people can be fed, they will naturally be reluctant to give up.”

"Therefore, I dare to say that Your Majesty has rectified the custom of betrothal gifts and there are no further worries."

Zhu Yunwen slowly nodded. Li Chongwen's words were like the sun breaking through the clouds, hitting the nail on the head.

Parents who are utterly devoid of conscience and treat their own flesh and blood like dirt are ultimately a very small minority.

More often than not, they are simply ordinary people driven to desperation by poverty!
Regardless of the ten months of pregnancy and the birth of a child, the bond between mother and child, and the natural connection between father and daughter, is not something that can be easily severed.

If they were not at their wits' end, and would starve to death if they didn't abandon even one person, who would be so cruel?

The most compelling evidence is that among the families of officials throughout the court, there were many who were conservative in their thinking and extremely sexist, but it was never heard of any family committing the disgraceful act of drowning their own daughter.

They may feel sorry for them, or they may treat them coldly, but they will eventually raise them to adulthood.

Ultimately, it all boils down to one thing: the family has enough surplus food to feed the children!
The tragedy of infant drowning has always only happened in those destitute huts where people are starving!

It is poverty that forces them to make the most difficult choices!

The choice of gender in later generations was mainly influenced by the one-child policy.

They chose a baby boy when they were forced to choose only one.

Conversely, in the absence of restrictions and when food is plentiful, the male-to-female ratio is generally equal.

Not only in the Ming Dynasty, but in almost every country in the world, there is a phenomenon of 'preferring sons to daughters', but none of them have caused an extreme imbalance in the gender ratio as a result.

However, Wang Shoulian's advice should not be ignored.

A ruler must believe in the goodness of human nature, but also guard against its evil.

Relying on the people's self-discipline after they have enough to eat and wear is ultimately not a foolproof solution.

Zhu Yunwen's mind raced, and he had already come up with a complete plan.

"Preventing problems before they arise is the way to long-term stability and security."

"I have decided to issue several new policies."

"Firstly, the household registration system is a fundamental matter of the nation."

"Previously, the imperial court allowed people to move freely and issued identity certificates to facilitate business travel. This measure was beneficial to the country and the people. However, the number of people who actually went to the government office to obtain identity certificates was ultimately a minority."

“If the people do not intend to travel far, they will not go to the government office to handle matters.”

"I believe we cannot continue to let things continue like this."

"From this day forward, this matter must be implemented throughout the land!"

"By imperial decree, all local governments shall register every citizen under their jurisdiction, regardless of age or gender, and issue them identity certificates!"

"The cost of producing the first official document shall be fully covered by the national treasury, and not a single penny shall be levied on the people."

"Only if something is lost and needs to be replaced can a fee be charged for the cost of the work. The price must be clearly stated, and officials are strictly prohibited from using this as a means to extort money!"

"This matter must be completed within three months."

"Local governments can take this opportunity to thoroughly investigate the number of people in their jurisdictions, and strive to accurately count them and report to the Ministry of Revenue."

"Send a telegram to the Administrative Office, ordering it to immediately convene with the various ministries of the court to draft regulations and detailed provisions for this matter, and to promulgate them throughout the country, so that all levels of government shall comply with them!"

……

(End of this chapter)