Ming Dynasty: The Jingnan Rebellion has just been successful, and Zhu Yuanzhang has been resurrected

Chapter 128: Frugal Zhu Yuanzhang and the Rampant Corruption in the Ming Dynasty
Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaoxu with a complicated expression: "Second brother"

Although he said that passing the throne to Zhu Gaoxu was just a big deal, among his three sons, he really liked his second son the most.

He really thought about it and really wanted to pass the throne to Zhu Gaoxu, but for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, he had no choice but to give up Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu's identity was locked, and there was no way for him to touch the throne, not even the slightest possibility, unless he disregarded the Ming Dynasty's country and people.

"Dad, it's all over." Zhu Gaoxu shook his head.

Before, he had some hesitation in his heart, but now Zhu Di's silence made him realize that he had really been deceived.

Fortunately, Zhu Yunhuan had pointed all of this out to him early on, so although he felt a little uncomfortable at the moment, he did not collapse directly.

He was redeemed, just as he said it.

"Alas," Zhu Di sighed, looking at Zhu Gaoxu in front of him, his heart struggling violently, and said, "Second brother, although it may sound hypocritical to say these things now, Dad still wants to tell you that in my heart, I really have thought about passing the throne to you."

Zhu Gaoxu grinned, and unlike his previous forced smile, this time he was happy from the bottom of his heart.

He also knew that his identity meant he was destined not to sit on the throne. Therefore, under such circumstances, his father still thought about passing the throne to him. This was enough to show that the old man loved him and was most satisfied with him.

"Dad, let me continue. When Hu Ge'er asked me, I was able to remain stubborn at first, but then Hu Ge'er's words made me confused. Dad, do you know what Hu Ge'er said to me?" Zhu Gaoxu asked.

Zhu Di looked up at Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu smiled wryly and said, "Huan Ge'er said I'm too good at fighting."

"Too good at fighting?" Zhu Di was stunned, his eyes puzzled.

"Yes, I am very good at fighting. Will you trust me? Will my brother trust me? Even in my heart, will I follow your example and start a rebellion because of unwillingness?" Zhu Gaoxu said quietly.

Zhu Di was silent for a while.

He followed Zhu Gaoxu's thoughts and thought, if he really sat on the throne, how would he deal with Zhu Gaoxu? Perhaps, before he died, he would abolish Zhu Gaoxu.

If he was abolished, the thought in Zhu Gaoxu's heart would be eliminated, and at the same time, Zhu Gaoxu's life could be saved.

"Can you avoid all this by following Yunhu?" Zhu Di suddenly said.

Before Zhu Gaoxu could answer, he reacted and showed a wry smile on his face: "Yun Hu has the Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry at his disposal. He is indeed not afraid of you."

Zhu Gaoxu was a good fighter, but Zhu Yunhuan was simply unreasonable.

The combat effectiveness of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry has reached a point where it has little to do with the generals. Even a rookie who has just entered the battlefield can lead the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to fight north and south, and kill wherever they go.

Zhu Gaoxu nodded and said, "That's right. Hun Ge'er has the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry. Even if there were ten of me, we wouldn't stand a chance against Hun Ge'er."

"So, you just surrendered to Yunhu like this?" Zhu Di said.

He was a little confused. It seemed that what Zhu Gaoxu said had nothing to do with what he wanted to ask.

Zhu Gaoxu shook his head and said, "In addition to explaining my situation to me, Brother Hu also gave me a choice, asking me to choose between being king or being a general."

"King? General?" Zhu Di looked stunned.

Although the title had changed, he felt a sense of familiarity.

King? Prince?
A great general? A rice bug?

Soon, Zhu Di came to his senses. Wasn't the choice Zhu Yunhuan gave to Zhu Gaoxu the same as what he did to the vassal kings?

However, compared with the princes, Zhu Gaoxu had a special privilege and could lead troops to fight on the battlefield.

"Dad, it seems that you have understood that the king is a vassal prince. As for the general, this may be the preferential treatment given to me by Hun Ge'er, allowing me to continue to be active on the battlefield." Zhu Gaoxu showed a smile on his face.

He was very glad that he had chosen to follow Zhu Yunhuan. Otherwise, how could he have the leisurely life he has now?
In the current situation, let alone his peers, even his uncles and uncles, including his father, who can live as carefree as he does? As one of the earliest people to follow Zhu Yunhuan, he has also made real contributions and is also Zhu Yunhuan's cousin.

Let’s put it this way, as long as he remained loyal to Zhu Yunhuan, did not rebel, or engaged in corruption and bribery, he could have ruled the entire Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Di looked at him strangely and said, "Second Brother, did you just choose to follow Yun Hun and become the general? This is not like your character at all!"

Zhu Gaoxu was his favorite son, and he knew him very well.

There was no need to think about the question of whether to be a general or a vassal king. He dared to bet that Zhu Gaoxu would definitely choose to be a vassal king.

However, judging from the way Zhu Gaoxu spoke now, it was clear that he had already followed Zhu Yunhuan, which surprised him a little.

"Hehe, Dad, you are worthy of being my dad. My original choice was to be the king, but gradually, I suddenly felt that it would be better to follow Hun Ge'er, so I went to find Hun Ge'er and changed my choice." Zhu Gaoxu said with a smile.

When he said these words, a hint of pride inevitably rose on his face. He made a choice and could change it. I'm afraid he is the only one who can do this!
However, this is what he deserves. Who made him run to serve under Zhu Yunhuan so early? Not convinced? If you don't accept it, just hold it in!

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaoxu and shook his head, saying, "Second Brother, Yunhuan is really good to you. Meeting Yunhuan has changed your fate."

"Indeed, if it weren't for Hun Ge'er, I might have been deceived to death by you!" Zhu Gaoxu said.

Then, without waiting for Zhu Di to speak, he said with a smile: "But, having said that, Dad, I have to thank you for meeting Hun Ge'er. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to go to Fengyang, so, Dad, you don't have to feel too guilty."

"I feel guilty? Okay, okay!" Zhu Di's mouth twitched.

If Zhu Gaoxu had not mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten that he had sent Zhu Gaoxu to Fengyang with the purpose of helping Zhu Yunhuan, letting Zhu Yunhuan and the court consume each other's troops, and by the way, after Zhu Yunhuan was eliminated by the court, he would lure Zhu Yunhuan's Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and Tiger Leopard Cavalry back to Beiping.

What did Zhu Gaoxu do? He directly defected to Zhu Yunhuan. Not only did he defect himself, he also persuaded Zhu Neng to defect as well.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and his gaze towards Zhu Gaoxu gradually became dangerous.

When Zhu Gaoxu saw Zhu Di's dangerous look, the smile on his face froze and he said, "Dad, we have a deal. No matter what I say, you won't do anything!"

"Really? When did I say that?" Zhu Di had a blank expression on his face.

The next second, he stood up and rushed towards Zhu Gaoxu. "You little brat, if you hadn't mentioned it just now, I almost forgot. I asked you to go to Fengyang to interfere in the battlefield, but what did you do? You directly defected to Yunhu. Not only did you defect yourself, but you also spread rumors that Zhu Neng defected as well. You even wrote me a letter asking me not to contact you anymore, saying that you were afraid Yunhu would misunderstand you. I caused you to misunderstand."

"Dad, why don't you keep your word? Besides, what you said is all in the past, why are you digging it up again?"

"Dad, if you do this, will we ever be able to sit together and have a good chat in the future?"

"Dad, if you hit me again I'll be angry. I'll go complain to Hun Ge'er later!"

"Dad, I was wrong, stop hitting me!"

"Help! Prince Yan is hitting someone!!!"

"."

At the beginning, Zhu Gaoxu tried to argue with Zhu Di, but Zhu Di said nothing and just kept on doing it. Gradually, Zhu Gaoxu became desperate.

"Swish, swish, swish!" Outside the study, the servants heard Zhu Gaoxu's screams, were stunned at first, and then walked away one after another.

After a long time.

The study became quiet.

Zhu Di looked refreshed. He sat comfortably on the chair and looked at Zhu Gaoxu with a smile.

Zhu Gaoxu's face was bruised and swollen. He wiped the wound with a grimace and looked at Zhu Di angrily: "Dad, can we keep our word? We agreed not to fight. How can I trust you in the future if you do this?"

"This is all your own fault. Who made you do such a terrible thing before? I had almost forgotten about it, but you took the initiative to bring it up. You can't blame me. Since you took the initiative to bring it up, I will feel uncomfortable if I don't beat you up!" Zhu Di said.

Zhu Gaoxu looked depressed and said, "You feel better now, but look at me, my face is bruised and swollen. How can I go out?"

"That's none of my business!" Zhu Di shrugged.

"You" Zhu Gaoxu looked at the rogue Zhu Di and felt helpless. He had made all preparations, but he never expected that his father would act like a rogue with him.

"Hmph, I'll never trust you again!" Zhu Gaoxu said angrily. "Haha, alright, alright, second brother, I'm beating you for your own good. I want you to know what it means to speak out of turn, so you won't talk nonsense in the future. After all, you'll be in the court from now on, and talking nonsense is not good. You never know when it could get you into trouble." Zhu Di smiled and waved his hand.

"For my own good?" Zhu Gaoxu looked at Zhu Di, his mouth twitching as he gritted his teeth and said, "Father, if you say so, should I thank you?"

Zhu Di waved his hand and said, "Forget the thanks. You are my son after all. However, if you really want to thank me, you can help me think of a way. I have decided not to be a vassal king. I plan to follow Yun Hun like you."

"Ah?" Zhu Gaoxu was startled when he heard this, his face full of astonishment, and he looked at Zhu Di with strange eyes: "Dad, are you serious?"

Zhu Di nodded and said, "Of course. Look at me now. Do I look like I'm joking?"

Zhu Gaoxu stared at him, his heart filled with doubts, and said, "Dad, what are you thinking? With your ability, it would be too easy to conquer a fiefdom outside. But if you follow Hun Ge'er, you will never be free in the future."

"Then what do you think? Why don't you become a vassal king? If you choose to be a vassal king, I believe Yunhuan will directly send people to help you conquer a piece of land, and let you go there and pick up the ready-made land." Zhu Di asked back.

Zhu Gaoxu was startled, coughed twice, and said awkwardly, "Ahem. Dad, maybe you don't know me well enough. I don't have any big ambitions. Although there's nothing wrong with being a vassal king, I feel that the days following Hun Ge'er are more carefree and comfortable!"

Zhu Di said expressionlessly, "Keep making it up. I'm listening, Second Brother. You're treating me like a fool."

Zhu Gaoxu didn't have much ambition? He didn't know whether others believed this or not, but he didn't believe a single word of it. If Zhu Gaoxu didn't have much ambition, how could he have tied Zhu Gaoxu down so tightly with the throne?
"Uh..." Zhu Gaoxu said with a somewhat embarrassed expression, "Okay, Dad, I'll be honest. The reason I chose to follow Hun Ge'er is because I feel that following Hun Ge'er can make my life more colorful. You know, I can't sit still."

"Hmph, that's right, second brother. With your IQ, you still dare to play tricks on your father? You are far from it!" Zhu Di snorted lightly, with undisguised contempt.

"My father, is there anyone like you? I am your biological son!" Zhu Gaoxu's face was full of depression. He was inexplicably despised by his father. He felt very uncomfortable, but he didn't know how to refute.

"Okay, okay, second brother, you really have to help me with this. Go and test Yunhu's attitude. If you can help me with this, I promise I will never hit you again." Zhu Di waved his hand.

Zhu Gaoxu looked up at Zhu Di and said, "No!"

Zhu Di's face darkened and he said, "Are you going or not? I'm telling you, I'm in a good mood now. Don't force me to beat you up!"

Zhu Gaoxu's face was filled with resentment. He pointed at his bruised cheeks and said, "You just said you wouldn't fight me, but look at how you beat me!"

"Ahem. I promise, I will never hit you again next time!" Zhu Di said in a deep voice with a hint of embarrassment on his face.

It was indeed a bit too much for him to ask Zhu Gaoxu for help right after he had just started fighting.

Zhu Gaoxu hesitated: "Really?"

Zhu Di nodded heavily: "Really!"

Zhu Gaoxu thought for a moment and said, "Then swear!"

"I..." Zhu Di's eyes twitched, thinking that he had something to ask Zhu Gaoxu for help, and finally he suppressed the curse that was about to come out of his mouth and said with a smile: "Okay, okay, I swear, I will never hit you again."

Zhu Gaoxu stared at Zhu Di, nodded and said, "Okay, then I will trust you again this time."

After saying that, he limped out of the study.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaoxu's back and thought to himself, "I was too impulsive just now. Next time I encounter this kind of situation, I must hold back and wait until the very end before taking action!"

In the courtyard, in the house!

Zhu Yunhuan's face was calm. He glanced around the room and two words popped up in his mind: simple.

However, he was not too surprised.

Historically, Zhu Yuanzhang is known as one of the most frugal emperors.

Of course, this has something to do with Zhu Yuanzhang's background.

Zhu Yuanzhang's life was extremely dark when he was a child. His parents, elder brother, and nephew all starved to death before his eyes. What a tragedy this was!

If someone else were to take over, who could handle it?
However, Zhu Yuanzhang endured it, but these experiences also had a great impact on his character, causing Zhu Yuanzhang to be extremely frugal, even stingy, when he grew up, and even after he became emperor.

He really had a hard time.

He knew what it felt like to be hungry.

Delicacies from land and sea?

Silk and satin?

No, absolutely not.

As emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang wore simple clothes and ate simple meals all day long. He felt that being able to stay warm in winter and fill his stomach every day was a very happy thing.

Zhu Yuanzhang really thought so.

Not only did he think so himself, he also asked the officials of the Ming Dynasty to do so.

Therefore, the salaries of officials in the Ming Dynasty were very low.

This problem also led to widespread corruption in the Ming Dynasty. After all, officials cannot go hungry while serving as officials, right?
Officials have power, and it is very easy for them to use their power to exchange for money.

In order to curb the corruption among officials, Zhu Yuanzhang set very harsh punishments, but the corruption in the Ming Dynasty still did not improve at all.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was alive, the problem of corruption may have been slightly better due to his harsh and almost cruel high-pressure tactics, but after Zhu Yuanzhang's death, the atmosphere of corruption in the Ming Dynasty became out of control.

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, the problem of corruption was not solved.

Many people are very confused and don’t understand what was going on in the Ming Dynasty and why there were so many corrupt officials.

Could it be that the Ming Dynasty was full of corrupt officials?

Were all the corrupt officials born in the Ming Dynasty?
In fact, this question still goes back to Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang was frugal, but he was also very stingy.

It's nothing for an ordinary person to be stingy.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was an emperor, and being stingy as an emperor was a serious problem.

As mentioned earlier, Zhu Yuanzhang was very wary of officials, which led to him not trusting them at all.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's mind, officials were just his tools. If there were none left, he would just replace them with a new batch. There were plenty of people who wanted to be officials anyway.

This is not nonsense, but a true story.

In the late Ming Dynasty, some people pretended to be crazy and stupid to avoid becoming officials, so much so that in the end the court forced people to become officials with a knife. It was really outrageous.

The problem of rampant corruption in the Ming Dynasty was actually very simple. It was that the salaries of officials were too low, so low that they could hardly even support their families.

He studied hard for more than ten years, and his family basically supported him during this period. As a result, he finally became an official, but the conditions at home did not change at all, and his wife and children still had to suffer. Who could bear this?
The salaries Zhu Yuanzhang gave to officials were ridiculously low. He calculated them very carefully. Basically, they were just enough for the officials to eat, drink, defecate and urinate, not a penny more.

From this point of view, Zhu Yuanzhang does not seem like an emperor, but more like an excellent accountant.

There was nothing wrong with Zhu Yuanzhang's calculations, but officials are not just people; they have wives, children, and elderly parents to support.

The hard times of officials have given businessmen opportunities.

When the Yuan Dynasty fell, commercial trade along the coast was still extremely prosperous, which led Zhu Yuanzhang to have a wrong perception. He thought that the fall of the Yuan Dynasty was related to those merchants who only cared about money.

Commercial trade in the Ming Dynasty was severely suppressed.

However, the businessmen were smart. They keenly sensed the poverty of the Ming officials and then launched an attack waving their money.

Not surprisingly, the Ming Dynasty officials, who were living a miserable life, fell.

Even if it meant risking Zhu Yuanzhang's harsh and cruel laws, he still committed corruption and bribery.

The root cause of corruption in the Ming Dynasty was thus planted. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, there were countless cases of collusion between officials and businessmen. Ultimately, all of this was because Zhu Yuanzhang had not changed his mind and did not regard himself as an emperor!
(End of this chapter)