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

Chapter 129 Chongba, listen carefully, I will teach you how to govern the country

Not recognizing his own position was Zhu Yuanzhang’s biggest problem and the source of rampant corruption in the Ming Dynasty.

Throughout history, the salaries of officials in the Ming Dynasty were the lowest, so low that it was outrageous.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt that being able to eat and dress warmly was enough.

However, standards vary from person to person.

Zhu Yuanzhang's standards are not everyone's standards.

What’s worse, some people can’t even get enough food and clothing.

If you don't hold an official position, you will live a hard life.

Even after becoming an official, he continued to live a hard life.

Then wouldn’t this position be in vain?
What's more, there are merchants waving money and tempting people crazily.

This is also the problem why the more Zhu Yuanzhang killed, the more corrupt officials there were in the Ming Dynasty. He could never kill them all. If he killed one, countless more would appear. What could he do?
To put it bluntly, this is no longer a question of killing a few people, but a huge problem with the system.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang did not reflect on his own problems. He had only one way to deal with it, which was to deepen and increase the punishment for corruption and bribery, and kill, kill, kill!

Under such an iron-fisted attitude, one horrific punishment after another was created, including castration, chopping off fingers, cutting off hands, chopping off feet, slow slicing, beheading, hooking intestines, and the most horrifying "skinning and stuffing with straw".

But the problem is that the problem of corruption and bribery is not caused by the officials, but by the defects of the system and the low salaries. Therefore, no matter how terrible the punishments Zhu Yuanzhang set, the corruption in the Ming Dynasty still persisted, and the more it was banned, the more rampant it became.

In the end, Zhu Yuanzhang became a little desperate.

However, even at this time, Zhu Yuanzhang still did not think about raising the salaries of the officials. Perhaps he realized it, but his pride did not allow him to compromise with the officials. He could not and would not compromise with those officials whom he hated!

In fact, this was not the first time that Zhu Yuanzhang failed to recognize his own problems, but this problem was the most famous in history.

There is another thing that also reflects that Zhu Yuanzhang did not recognize his position, and that is the prime minister system.

Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime minister system and took charge of all matters, solving them all himself.

It is undeniable that Zhu Yuanzhang was very capable and energetic, but governing a country is destined not to be something that can be done by one person.

Therefore, this incident only occurred briefly during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign. After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he immediately and decisively abolished the cabinet, offsetting the impact of Zhu Yuanzhang's abolition of the prime minister.

However, offsetting it does not mean that it did not happen.

"Huh..." Zhu Yunhuan took a deep breath, came back to his senses, and said: "After three years apart, I am finally back. Everything here seems so familiar, but some things have changed."

He did not insult him, nor did he yell excitedly, nor did he look down on Zhu Yuanzhang in an arrogant manner.

However, at this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang wished that Zhu Yunhuan would yell at him, which might make him feel better.

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then said, "Can I ask some questions?"

He understood Zhu Yunhuan's attitude. Although the two met, they did not break up their relationship. He was very sad about this, but he could not say much.

After all, he was the one who made the mistake in the first place, so how could he ask for too much now?

"Tell me about it." Zhu Yunhuan said.

Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated for a moment and said, "We abolished the prime minister system, but you set up a cabinet. We issued preferential treatment for gentry, but you abolished it. Can you tell me if you did all this on purpose, or if there is something wrong with the situation itself?"

"Did it on purpose? Hahaha!" Zhu Yunhuan laughed.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Yunhuan with confusion.

"You are too self-righteous." Zhu Yunhuan shook his head slightly.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent. He understood the deep meaning in Zhu Yunhuan's words. Forming a cabinet and abolishing the preferential treatment for gentry were not meant to anger him, but because there were problems with these two things.

He was very dissatisfied. Whether it was abolishing the prime minister or issuing preferential treatment for gentry, these two things were planned after careful consideration. However, in Zhu Yunhuan's mouth, they became problematic measures.

However, although he was dissatisfied, he did not say much.

He was unwilling to argue with Zhu Yunhuan.

"Are you very dissatisfied? Do you think I am deliberately finding fault with you?" Zhu Yunhuan looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Yunhuan, hesitated for a moment, and nodded, "Yes!"

He didn't want to argue with Zhu Yunhuan, but he wanted to know why Zhu Yunhuan did this.

Knowing what Zhu Yunhun was thinking, he was able to help Zhu Yunhun sort out his ideas. Abolishing the prime minister and issuing preferential treatment for gentry were two measures he had painstakingly devised, and there was definitely no problem with them.

So, he thought that Zhu Yunhuan might have misunderstood something.

"Haha, okay, then let's talk about abolishing the prime minister. What's the benefit of this? For that little bit of insignificant power?" Zhu Yunhuan looked playful.

This was Zhu Yuanzhang's initiative, not his coercion.

"Dispensable rights?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, a little angry. "We fought so hard to conquer this country. Why should we give away power to others? Isn't it good to hold all the power?"

"Tsk tsk, do you think that Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang are all stupid? Are you the only one who is smart?" Zhu Yunhuan said.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "I never said that. They didn't abolish the Prime Minister. Maybe they need some time to entertain themselves."

Although he conquered the Ming Dynasty, he had to admit the excellence of Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang, and he had some self-awareness when he directly criticized them.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled lightly and said, "No need to be so tactful. You just want to say that Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang were not as hardworking as you. Just say it directly."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at Zhu Yunhuan and said, "The Prime Minister's existence is to assist the Emperor. If the Emperor is diligent enough, there will naturally be no need for the Prime Minister to exist!"

"Haha!" Zhu Yunheng raised the corner of his mouth and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a hint of pity in his eyes.

"What? Is what we said wrong?" Zhu Yuanzhang also became angry.

He was unwilling to argue with Zhu Yunhuan, but he also did not allow Zhu Yunhuan to be so rampant!

It is not a good thing that he is so arrogant just after taking the throne.

He felt that he needed to have a good talk with Zhu Yunhuan, to let Zhu Yunhuan know his mistakes, and stop talking big and comparing himself with Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang in everything.

There have been many emperors in history, but only a few have achieved the same high achievements as Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang.

Although he admitted that Zhu Yunhuan was very outstanding now, there was still a big gap between him and Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang. The current Zhu Yunhuan could only be described as having a promising future.

Talking about Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang all the time is a bit too boastful.

As a person, it is better not to be too ambitious!
"Of course it's not right, and it's totally wrong!" Zhu Yunhuan rebuked mercilessly.

"Then tell me what you did wrong?" Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"First of all, you are a human being, not a machine. You have your own emotions and desires. It is no problem for you to handle all the government affairs in a day or two, but how long can you persist?" Zhu Yunhuan asked.

"We persisted until the end!" Zhu Yuanzhang said. After that, he looked at Zhu Yunhuan with a proud expression.

"You have been persisting, but have you noticed that the overall operation speed of the Ming Dynasty has slowed down? Moreover, have your emotions become irritable and explosive?" Zhu Yunheng said softly.

Zhu Yuanzhang was startled and said, "Those are the court officials. They often report trivial matters, which greatly wastes our time."

Zhu Yunhuan shrugged and said, "Is it possible that those trivial matters in your eyes are very big things in the eyes of others?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was startled, his face showing a thoughtful expression. Finally, he said stubbornly, "If it is really an important matter, why didn't the person who submitted it mark it?"

"Mark it?" Zhu Yunhuan was speechless for a moment, then said, "You still don't understand. Every memorial presented to you is a trivial matter. Judging from your behavior in your later years, if it were truly a trivial matter, who would dare to show it to you? Wouldn't that be courting death?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent and speechless. He found that what Zhu Yunhuan said seemed to make some sense.

Of course, he wouldn't admit it.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's silence, Zhu Yunhuan did not shut up, but continued: "In addition, what I just said is only the mildest drawback after you abolished the prime minister. The real serious problem is that there is no buffer zone between you and the court officials."

"Buffer zone? What does that mean?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

Zhu Yunhuan said: "What this means is that you and the court officials are directly at odds. You dislike the court officials, and the court officials are also dissatisfied with you."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said coldly: "Whoever dares to be dissatisfied with me will be killed!"

Zhu Yunhuan nodded and said, "No problem, absolutely no problem. However, the court officials mentioned here are not just one or two people, but all of them. Do you want to kill them all?"

Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent again.

Kill everyone?
Then who will help him govern the Ming Dynasty?

Although he looked down on officials and was very wary of them, he knew very well that he needed their help to govern the Ming Dynasty.

"What? You don't want to kill him?" Zhu Yunhuan said.

Zhu Yuanzhang lowered his head and said nothing.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "Actually, you got one question wrong."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head and looked at Zhu Yunhuan.

Zhu Yunhuan said, "Actually, what you need to do is govern the Ming Dynasty well, not kill as many people as you want, and certainly not abolish the prime minister system. As long as the country is stable and the people live and work in peace and contentment, who can threaten the Ming Dynasty? Who can really shake the Ming Dynasty?"

Many rulers have overlooked one thing: in fact, the needs of the lower-class people are very small, and it is enough for them to have enough food and clothing.

You have enough food and clothes to eat, so why would you be so stupid as to risk your life and join others in a rebellion?

Throughout the dynasties, one by one, the collapse of dynasties was basically due to the fact that the people had no food to eat and were about to starve to death, so they were forced to risk their lives in rebellion.

Without exception!

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and asked, "Does this have anything to do with what you just said?"

"Of course it is related. Do you think it is easier to govern the Ming Dynasty when the prime minister is still alive, or when the prime minister is no longer alive?" Zhu Yunhuan asked.

Without waiting for Zhu Yuanzhang's reply, he continued, "Of course, you could say that governing the Ming Dynasty is easier without a prime minister. After all, there are no standards for judging such matters."

Zhu Yuanzhang felt depressed. He was silenced by Zhu Yunhuan. Everything he wanted to say had been predicted by Zhu Yunhuan. What else could he say?
"You overlooked one point. Officials are not dead. They are human beings, living people with emotions, people with fear and resentment." Zhu Yunxun said.

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned.

Zhu Yunxun asked, "Have you figured it out? The officials can't do anything to you, and they even tremble in fear in front of you. However, they are the ones who manage the Ming Dynasty. Do you think that if they are dissatisfied with you, they will still honestly complete your instructions?"

Even if it is the same thing, it can be completed in one day, two days, three days or four days. It is even okay if it cannot be completed even if it is reported directly.

Zhu Yuanzhang was only one person. Could he really keep an eye on everything?

At the beginning, there may be only one or two such cases. After all, not everyone is so brave. After all, if Zhu Yuanzhang catches such a thing, there is only one way to go, and that is death.

However, as time goes by, such things will definitely happen more and more.

At this point, the biggest problem with the abolition of the prime minister system arose, that is, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang stood in opposition to the officials, and all the officials united together.

The officials are united as one. There is no need to say more about what this means, right?
At this point, the officials' focus had shifted from fighting among themselves to Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

The matter has reached a dead end.

The biggest hidden danger of abolishing the prime minister has appeared!

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent, his brows furrowed even deeper.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled widely and continued, "This is not the most important thing!"

"Isn't it the most important thing?" Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned, a trace of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, and he began to feel a little scared.

Isn't it just the removal of a prime minister? How could the harm become so great?
This is different from what he thought!

He clearly just didn't want the rights he had fought so hard for to be shared by others, so why did things become so serious?
Zhu Yunhuan took a deep breath and said slowly, "The most important thing is that because of the existence of you, the biggest threat, the officials have united together, either for self-protection or for some other purpose. That's right, all the officials have united together, everyone!"

"boom!"

Zhu Yunhuan's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Zhu Yuanzhang's heart. He could no longer hold back, and a look of horror appeared on his face: "How could this happen? How could this happen? I clearly just don't want the rights I have fought for to be taken away by others for no reason!"

Zhu Yunhuan waited quietly and did not say anything else.

a long time.

Zhu Yuanzhang calmed down, his expression dejected and bitter: "What about the preferential treatment of the gentry? This measure should be more harmful than abolishing the prime minister, right?"

When he spoke of the latter part, his tone trembled.

When it came to abolishing the position of prime minister, Zhu Yunhuan was slow and unhurried.

However, when it came to the gentry's turn to receive preferential treatment, he could clearly feel that Zhu Yunhuan had a hint of urgency.

Before, he was extremely confident and felt that Zhu Yunhuan issued the cabinet order to abolish the preferential treatment for gentry deliberately to anger him and to avenge the fact that he had thrown Zhu Yunhuan into the high walls of Fengyang three years ago.

However, after listening to Zhu Yunhuan's analysis of his abolition of the prime minister system, he found that he was wrong, extremely wrong. Zhu Yunhuan was not angry with him, but was trying to save the hidden dangers caused by his blind operation.

As an extremely confident person, he thought hard about what he thought was a very good operation, but it turned out to be a mess in the end. This was a huge blow to him.

"Yes, the harm is even greater. It can even be said that if the preferential treatment of gentry has been implemented all the time, the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed directly." Zhu Yunheng nodded without any hesitation.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes trembled slightly, and he said, "Can you tell me about the preferential treatment of gentry?"

Zhu Yunhuan nodded and said, "Of course!"

Zhu Yuanzhang moved two stools from the side and handed one of them to Zhu Yunhuan.

Zhu Yunhuan took the stool and sat down, saying, "Before I speak, let me ask you, are you really issuing preferential treatment for gentry just to promote reading in the Ming Dynasty and make up for the shortage of lower-level officials?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Yes!"

Zhu Yunhuan was speechless for a moment, unable to complain. "How dare you? Ever since the imperial examination system came into being, it has been deeply intertwined with the foundation of the nation. How dare you make such a drastic change to it?"

Pulled around and moved the whole body.

The imperial examination is such a huge undertaking, who would dare to mess with it?
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was born a beggar, was really brave. He directly took action against the imperial examination, and his purpose was so low that it was outrageous.

It’s not that Zhu Yuanzhang was incompetent, but the imperial examination was too complicated to deal with. Without careful consideration and a little trial, any rash action would only make things extremely worse and directly affect the foundation of the dynasty.

Was the reading culture low in the Ming Dynasty?
As long as Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was willing to put in the effort, the reading culture in the Ming Dynasty would be established within a few years.

Not enough grassroots officials?

Can't we select some people of high moral character and prestige, use them as temporary personnel first, and then slowly replace them step by step?
Whether it was the low reading culture in the Ming Dynasty or the lack of grassroots officials, both were insignificant matters. As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang directly came up with a trump card.

This explosion directly destroyed the Ming Dynasty.

In comparison, promoting the reading culture in the Ming Dynasty and bringing a large number of low-level officials to the Ming Dynasty were just incidental effects of this trump card.

(End of this chapter)