Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 141 No investigation, no right to speak; let the data speak for itself.

"Your subject Zhu Shan pays his respects to Your Majesty and inquires about your well-being."

Zhu Shan walked briskly to the Wuying Hall.

Upon arriving at the door, he carefully tidied his clothes and stood there waiting cautiously.

A moment later, a eunuch came out and said that the emperor had summoned him.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shan carefully entered the Wuying Hall.

Upon approaching, he bowed deeply to Zhu Yuanzhang with utmost respect.

"No need to be polite."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "I have read your memorial, and it is indeed reasonable and substantial."

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Zhu Shan was overjoyed.

The last vestiges of anxiety in my heart vanished.

Things really turned out exactly as I had imagined.

The emperor indeed approved of his memorial.

It's better now!
He had achieved his political accomplishments.

The fact that the emperor summoned him alone immediately after seeing the memorial already reveals a great deal.

I don't need to panic too much in the coming year.

"But we feel that you don't have a good enough understanding of many things, and your views are biased."

Zhu Shan, who was secretly delighted, was taken aback when he heard Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

what's the situation?
What, there's another twist?

After reading his memorial, the emperor summoned him so quickly, not because he greatly approved of it, but because he thought it was inadequate.
While feeling surprised and doubtful, I also felt a lot of resentment.

His memorial to the throne was carefully considered, taking into account various circumstances.

How can we negate all our efforts just because of a few words from the emperor?

"Your Majesty, I am of limited talent and knowledge."

In many matters, we did not consider things properly.

"I humbly request Your Majesty's guidance."

He was very sincere and spoke very humbly.

However, the meaning conveyed was one of extreme dissatisfaction.

He felt that the emperor was very wrong in this matter and wanted to have a serious discussion with him about it.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew this would happen.

That's why he called Zhu Shan over.

"In his memorial, Zhu Qing said that cousins ​​could marry each other, and that they were of the same generation. From the perspective of ethics and social norms, this was acceptable."

Marriage between cousins ​​will not disrupt the established social order.

We agree with that.

Their marriage would certainly not disrupt the proper order of generations or social norms.

Zhu Shan found Zhu Yuanzhang's words rather strange.

Since the emperor agrees with his own point of view, why does he still think his suggestion is unacceptable?
How could he possibly refute himself?

By acknowledging this point, one essentially places oneself in an invincible position.

He was somewhat bewildered, and at the same time very curious, wondering what reason the emperor would use to refute the inappropriateness of his consideration after acknowledging this point.

Could it be that the claim that after the marriage law was promulgated, married cousins ​​were punished by the government because of a complaint from an enemy, thus causing a great impact, is false?

If we refute this from this perspective, then the emperor's words become even less tenable.

Zhu Shan did not always serve in the Hanlin Academy.

It was at the beginning of this year that he passed the provincial examination and was admitted to the Hanlin Academy.

He has many years of experience as a local official.

I understand these things very well.

It was not a baseless attack.

If the emperor uses this to refute himself, then he will have something to say to the emperor.

"What Zhu Qing said refers to the marriage between cousins ​​who were married before the new marriage law was promulgated and implemented."

Many of these cases are left unreported by the public and ignored by the authorities, resulting in little impact on their lives.

However, many others were punished because they had enemies who reported them to the authorities.

This has had a significant impact on their normal lives.

We believe that too.

I agree with what you said.

Zhu Qing has experience in governing local areas, and I wasn't always the emperor.

We also started from the bottom and worked our way up step by step.

The situation below is quite clear.

This situation can definitely happen.

These words immediately stunned Zhu Shan, who had been determined to argue with the emperor on this matter and prove that he was right and that the emperor was wrong.

The breath he had managed to muster instantly caught in his throat.

Being stuck in the middle is particularly uncomfortable.

My mind became increasingly confused, and endless bewilderment welled up inside me.

Something is wrong, something is so wrong!
Why does the emperor act so unpredictably?

He acknowledged both points in his memorial and felt he hadn't made any mistakes.

If that's the case, why did the emperor still say that his conclusions were biased?
He doesn't agree?

This was an outcome Zhu Shan had never imagined.

"From the perspective of ethics and moral principles, Zhu Qing is not wrong about this matter."

The negative effects that have emerged since the promulgation of the new marriage law are also true.

These are all real problems.

However, there are some aspects that Zhu Qing did not consider.

"Zhu Qing is a learned scholar, so let us ask you this question: Why do surnames exist in our Chinese civilization?"

"Naturally, it's to distinguish between our own people and outsiders."

Once you see that they share the same surname, you can trace its origins, find the corresponding source, and identify people closely related to you.

One very important aspect of this is marriage.

It allows people to avoid violating ethical norms; the so-called prohibition against marriage between people with the same surname is an example of this.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked a very simple question, which Zhu Shan answered readily.

For him, this was not a difficult question to answer.

There are many reasons for the emergence of surnames.

It also has many advantages.

The prohibition against marriage between people with the same surname is just one aspect of this.

However, Zhu Shan knew that the topic of discussion with the emperor at this time was marriage, so he focused on these points.

"As Zhu Qing knows, it is to avoid close relatives from marrying each other, and there is also a customary rule that people with the same surname cannot marry."

Then some things become easier to explain.

Zhu Qing said that there is something unreasonable about this practice of cousins ​​marrying each other.

"Your Majesty, the saying that people with the same surname should not marry is an earlier one."

There are few people with each surname, and those with the same surname are basically family members.

Marriages between people with the same surname can indeed easily lead to things that violate ethical norms.

But there's a saying: "The blessings of a virtuous person will last for five generations."

Beyond the fifth degree of kinship, there is basically no kinship anymore.

Nowadays, there are many people with different surnames.

Especially common surnames like Zhang, Wang, Li, and Zhao, which can be found all over the country.

It is not uncommon for people with the same surname to marry.

Moreover, what I approve of is marriage between cousins.

Cousins ​​don't even share the same surname; their marriage only strengthens the already close family ties.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Does Minister Zhu know why he doesn't support marriage between people with the same surname?"

Zhu Shan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Hadn't he already answered this question?
"It is to prevent the disruption of social order."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "That's one thing."

More importantly, children born from marriages between people with close blood ties are prone to serious problems.

There may be congenital defects.

For example, their intelligence is far below that of ordinary people.

For example, they may have physical disabilities or hidden diseases that make them prone to premature death.

From an ethical standpoint, there really isn't much of a problem between cousins.

Marriage between people with the same surname is prohibited, and this is also virtually nonexistent among cousins.

After all, cousins ​​usually don't share the same surname.
However, they are closely related by blood.

The parents of the older and younger cousins ​​are siblings.

One maternal sibling.

They share the same blood.

As children born to them, cousins ​​also share half their blood.

They did not violate ethical norms, nor did they share the same surname, yet their relationship was closer than that of many people with the same surname.

From a bloodline perspective, there is no difference between cousins ​​and siblings.

The closer the blood relationship, the greater the chance that the child will have problems.

This is a problem that our ancestors discovered long ago.

Therefore, there is a distinction based on surname, and there is also the saying that people with the same surname should not marry.

There is also a saying that the blessings bestowed by a virtuous person will end after five generations.

After all, over five generations, through marriages with people of different surnames and with no blood relation, the bloodlines among them have become quite different.

At this time, it is possible for people with the same surname to get married, or even people from the same clan to get married.

The chances of problems arising after childbirth are not high.

This is why we say that Zhu Qing was biased in this matter.

Zhu Yuanzhang was well aware of the dangers of incestuous marriages, even in modern times.

That is why he resolutely opposed Zhu Shan's proposal at this time.

Zhu Shan was stunned again upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words. He truly hadn't expected the emperor to be so vehemently opposed to his proposal, and the reason was unexpected.

This was an aspect he had never considered before.

"Your Majesty, children born from marriages between close relatives are prone to problems."

This... probably isn't very accurate, right?
I have seen many marriages between cousins, and some of their children do indeed have problems. However, it's not to say that all children born to couples who are not close relatives are healthy and without any problems.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "Minister Zhu, what we're talking about isn't consanguineous marriage, which results in children with problems."

Rather, it means that the chances of them having problems are far higher than the chances of having children born to people who are not close relatives.

Zhu Qing cannot rely solely on intuition when it comes to these matters; he must speak with facts.

Let the data speak for itself.

In many things, people's subjective perceptions can be biased, but data does not lie.

Zhu Qing feels that you don't quite agree with what we're saying.

Then let's give Zhu Qing a task.

Next, Zhu Qing can make a comparison.

For example, Zhu Qing could randomly select 500 couples who are close relatives and conduct a survey among them.

Look at how many children they each had, and how many of those children have problems.

Then randomly select 500 couples who are not closely related and ask them how many children they each have.

And how many children are experiencing problems?

Record all of these details in detail, compile statistics, and then make comparisons later.

In this way, Zhu Qing's doubts will be dispelled.

Zhu Qing could understand why we insisted on prohibiting marriage between close relatives.

This was Zhu Yuanzhang's main purpose in summoning Zhu Shan to speak with him face to face.

Zhu Shanneng's memorial about this matter shows that after the new marriage law was promulgated, many problems were indeed encountered in its implementation.

These problems need to be taken seriously, and we need to find ways to solve them.

It cannot be solved in a crude manner.

Since Zhu Shan brought this up, let him go and investigate.

"Zhu Qing, you have no right to speak on many things without investigation."

People see things differently depending on their perspective.

In many situations, the conclusions reached will differ.

We believe that we cannot look at problems from a narrow perspective, nor can we use the individual to represent the whole.

Especially during the investigation, the sample size should be large and comprehensive, and generalizations should be avoided.

This can be considered a task we assigned to Zhu Qing.

Zhu Yuanzhang had already decided that after the investigation into Zhu Shan's matter was completed, he would have Luo Guanzhong write an article about it.

The cause, process, and outcome of this event should be described in detail, especially the harm caused by consanguineous marriage.

It was published in the Daming Daily.

Let the world understand this matter clearly.

Many people have the instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm.

No one wants their child to have a defect.

After this fact is presented, I believe many people will reconsider the marriage law.

There will also be a new understanding of marriage between close relatives.

There will definitely be people who cross the line.

But there certainly won't be as many people crossing that line again.

This will also lead to significant progress in changing customs and traditions.

No right to speak without investigation?
Zhu Shan found Zhu Yuanzhang's words quite novel.

However, upon closer examination, it contains many profound truths.

It makes people unconsciously want to agree with it.

"Your Majesty, in addition to completing my regular official duties, I will take the time to do as Your Majesty has said."

Let's investigate this matter.

Do everything well.

Once I have an answer, I will present it to Your Majesty.

Please review this, Your Majesty.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Alright, then Minister Zhu shall do so."

On his way back to the Hanlin Academy after bidding farewell to the emperor, Zhu Shan's feelings were somewhat complicated.

He truly hadn't expected that the task he had put so much effort into would earn him the emperor's praise.

They can gain a lot of political achievements from this.

It never expected to end like this.

He instinctively felt that the emperor's statement that children born to close relatives were prone to problems was incorrect.

However, he also agreed with the method of verification that the emperor had suggested.

The emperor spoke with such certainty that it made him somewhat unsure of himself.

Perhaps... in this matter, the emperor is right.

Otherwise, the emperor wouldn't have been so certain.

So you'll have to verify the results yourself to find out the truth.

Originally, the emperor had been very merciful this time, granting so many days of annual leave.

Zhu Shan felt that he could finally take a good rest during the Spring Festival.

But who would have thought that something like this would happen again.

It seems I'm not going to have a good New Year.

However, judging from the emperor's attitude, he did not feel any dissatisfaction with him because of his memorial.

Perhaps, by following the emperor's instructions and conducting a thorough investigation, and then presenting the results to the emperor, one could gain the emperor's trust and achieve corresponding political success.

After Zhu Shan left, Zhu Yuanzhang did not immediately begin work.

He too was lost in thought.

This incident involving Zhu Shan served as a wake-up call for him.

In future government affairs, officials and government departments at all levels should be required to present evidence, data, and facts.

We cannot assume things.

Some of the ideas and methods used in later generations have long been proven to be effective.

Such a good method can naturally be used to obtain it from our own Great Ming.

Let our Ming Dynasty become better and better...

……

"Your son pays his respects to His Majesty and inquires about His well-being."

May my father enjoy good health and longevity; may my mother enjoy boundless happiness and long life.

As firecrackers crackle, the old year departs, and new peachwood charms replace the old.

In the blink of an eye, it's already Lunar New Year's Eve.

On this day, all officials were given a holiday.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who became emperor, also unprecedentedly did not handle government affairs.

Spend the night of reunion with your family.

Zhu Biao and his children, along with Zhu Yuanzhang's daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters, gathered together to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

Have a family reunion dinner.

Everyone offered their blessings.

Zhu Yuanzhang happily accepted it all, his smile impossible to hide.

Having had this special experience, he cherishes even more the sight of his whole family gathered together.

I felt that the most beautiful scene in the world was nothing more than this.

"Haha, well said."

Fourth brother, you've really given us a big surprise this time!
We knew it, Fourth Brother, you're no ordinary person.

But we never expected that you, Fourth Brother, would be so extraordinary.

They can do things so well.

"If it weren't for you, Fourth Brother, going this time, the matter of preparing for the Japanese navy wouldn't have been so easily resolved."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his fourth son, who had rushed back at the end of the year, and his face was full of smiles.

I was exceptionally happy.

In front of everyone, he praised Zhu Di highly.

This is what Zhu Di deserved.

“Father, these are all things I should do.”

I was just doing my duty.

Zhu Di was very modest, but from his demeanor and tone, one could clearly feel just how overjoyed he was at that moment.

But what he said was very different.

Zhu Di was truly triumphant.

So why was he rushing back after things with the Japanese naval forces had largely come to an end?

It's not just about coming back for a family reunion.

More importantly, it's a good opportunity to show off your face at such a moment.

Showing off in front of others doesn't feel as good as showing off in front of your own family.

Otherwise, how could there be the saying "returning home in glory"?

Especially showing off in front of that scoundrel, the third brother, makes one feel smug and elated.

She glanced at the third brother without leaving a trace, and saw that the third brother, that bastard, turned his face away.

Zhu Di was in an extremely pleasant mood.

If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, he would have burst out laughing.

It’s so cool! It’s so cool!

For the next period of time, he and the third brother had more to talk about.

"Fourth brother, we're planning to compile a grand encyclopedia called the Hongwu Grand Encyclopedia."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Di and spoke, then explained his ideas for the Hongwu Grand Ceremony.

Then, looking at Zhu Di, he said, "Fourth Prince, what do you think of our idea? How about the Hongwu Grand Ceremony?"

(End of this chapter)