Di Ming

Chapter 444 Entering Chengdu, I composed a poem in the brocade city; I met the King of Shu and discussed seniority at the Cunxin Hall.

"We, your humble servants, pay our respects to the Grand Tutor!" Wang Jiguang and Li Shihua led the civil and military officials of Sichuan to pay their respects to Zhu Yinjun.

"The royal army is mighty and the Grand Tutor is unparalleled in martial arts. In the battle of Chengdu, the enemy army was completely wiped out, and since then, Sichuan has turned danger into safety. The Grand Tutor's virtue is like that of the second heaven to the people of Sichuan, and his kindness is like that of a second creation."

...

Although the officials spoke eloquently, it wasn't deliberate flattery; they were genuinely grateful to Zhu Yin.

Without Zhu Yin's tireless efforts in leading his troops to the rescue, Chengdu would have been massacred by the rebels, and the people of Shu would have been devastated and doomed.

Civil and military officials came out to greet and pay their respects to the Regent, but the Prince of Shu alone did not leave the city. It was not that the Prince of Shu did not want to leave the city, but that the Ming Dynasty had its own system that vassal kings were not allowed to leave the city without the court's permission.

Leaving the city without permission is treason. Therefore, although the princes may seem noble, they are actually like birds in a cage, never truly free.

Behind the officials followed tens of thousands of Chengdu citizens, men, women, and children, kneeling to welcome them with wine, meat, food, and drink, shouting "The royal army is mighty! The Grand Tutor is virtuous!" like a tidal wave.

The people of Chengdu felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude and admiration for Zhu Yin.

Grand Tutor is truly a star deity descended to earth, a sage descended to earth, relieving suffering and rescuing the people from imminent collapse.

Zhu Yin's great victory in Chengdu won over the hearts of the people of Sichuan in one battle!
Holding the provincial register high above his head, Wang Jiguang presented it to Zhu Yin, saying, "Grand Tutor, this is the register of Sichuan. On behalf of over three million people in Sichuan, I hereby submit to Nanjing..."

Zhu Yin nodded, ordered the books to be put away, and said, "I led the royal army on a journey that took us day and night because I was worried that the people of Shu would suffer from the ravages of the rebels. Today, I am very relieved that everyone has escaped disaster and I have no more worries."

Zhu Yin flipped through the household registration records and couldn't help but sneer.

More than three million people? This number made Zhu Yin very suspicious.

He wanted to tear up the register, but he didn't, considering the face of the Sichuan officials.

What do you mean by more than three million people? That's utterly ridiculous!

According to the Yellow Register, Sichuan province, including Chongqing Prefecture which had already switched allegiance, indeed had only a little over three million people. This is consistent with the records in the Ming Dynasty's Collected Statutes.

Wang Jiguang seems to be right.

However, Zhu Yin was well aware that this number was not only completely wrong, but also ridiculously wrong!
At that time, how many people actually lived in Sichuan, regardless of whether they were Han or non-Han? According to later research, the population was at least eight or nine million, if not more!
Wang Shizhen once said: "The registration by the officials and the inspection by the Ministry of Revenue are all child's play."

Later historians have invariably criticized the Ming Dynasty's management of statistical data. Huang Renyu went even further, criticizing it bluntly: the Ming Dynasty's biggest weakness was the loss of data management, resulting in chaotic and highly distorted data.

He believed that data distortion was a major reason for the Ming Dynasty's downfall. Because data is fundamental, without relatively accurate data, all administrative management would be disastrous. Major issues such as finance, military affairs, disaster relief, and official corruption were destined to fall into chaos.

The so-called "dying of poverty" was merely a consequence. The reason was that, since the Yongle Emperor, the Ming court had lost its ability to compile statistical data. Since the official data was falsified, it was difficult for the court to adjust the fiscal system.

For example, the imperial court's population statistics were a joke, the worst in history. The imperial court's population census was even worse than that of the Spring and Autumn Period.

That's absolutely bizarre.

The population was over 60 million at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, and it remained over 60 million during the Wanli era, a period of more than two hundred years of peace. Many of the imperial edicts were copied from a hundred years earlier, or even directly from the early Ming Dynasty! As a result, people from the early Ming Dynasty "lived" for more than two hundred years, and were still "alive" during the Wanli era.

Anyone with a brain wouldn't believe official data. It's simple: early Ming dynasty statistics were very rigorous, showing a population of over 60 million. This data comes after decades of turmoil during the Yuan dynasty.

And then what? More than two hundred years of peace, with almost no major upheavals, yet the population register still shows over 60 million!
Ghost letter!

Records from the Ming Dynasty contain numerous instances of "population growth," with accounts of "population growth" found throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces. However, if the population still exceeded sixty million after more than two hundred years, how could it have grown so much? Isn't this a contradiction? Furthermore, the Yellow Registers list many people who "lived" from the beginning of the Ming Dynasty to the end, with individuals reportedly "over two hundred years old."

In the early Ming Dynasty, the national treasury revenue was over 30 million shi (a unit of dry measure). Even during the Wanli reign, when the national treasury revenue was converted into grain, it still amounted to over 30 million shi!

It has remained unchanged for over two hundred years. No matter how the population or the land area changes, the national treasury revenue remains the same.

This is clearly the tax farming system of the Yuan Dynasty!
After the Manchus entered the Central Plains, they accepted the Yellow Registers from the Ming Dynasty. However, after careful research, the meticulous Manchu nobles discovered that the Yellow Registers of the Ming Dynasty were completely worthless. The Qing court not only discovered many people who were over two hundred years old, but also found Yellow Registers dated to the 24th year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, which turned out to be a result of premature deception.

One of the reforms of Zhang Juzheng was to recalculate the population to find the true answer to the population data of the Ming Dynasty. However, it encountered strong resistance.

Even greater resistance than measuring fields!

There was a force that even Zhang Juzheng found difficult to resist, preventing him from obtaining the true population count, and the matter was ultimately dropped. Zhang Juzheng could only pretend to be confused and reluctantly accept the false data used to deceive him.

This chilling conclusion is enough to make insightful people realize that the imperial court had long lost control over the grassroots. In terms of population, the Ming Dynasty was actually the same as the Jin Dynasty's system of hereditary privilege and patronage, and in terms of finance and taxation, it was actually the same as the Yuan Dynasty's tax farming system.

The powerful and wealthy rentier class not only sought to annex land and monopolize industries, but also to control the population, turning self-cultivating farmers and free people into their tenants, slaves, and servants, thus devouring the nation's taxpayers and service workers.

The early Ming Dynasty and the late Ming Dynasty were like two different worlds, almost like different dynasties. The early Ming Dynasty was a relatively egalitarian atomized society, but by the late Ming Dynasty, it had become a society dominated by powerful families and influential figures.

For example, in the Jiangnan region, there were countless wealthy families who owned thousands or even tens of thousands of servants. Although these servants did not pay taxes or perform labor service, they had no personal freedom and were exploited and controlled by their masters.

The combination of the household registration system and the tax farming system is the institutional logic behind the loss of data management and the eventual "death by poverty".

But that's not the root cause. The root cause is that while the Ming Dynasty improved the Yuan Dynasty's system at the top, it actually inherited the Yuan Dynasty's system at the grassroots level.

From the perspective of grassroots politics, it was "Ming Chengyuan system".

This explains why, in the late Ming Dynasty, a massive "Jiangnan Slave Rebellion" broke out, in which tenants and slaves of powerful clans rose up against their masters, burning land deeds and slave contracts. Hundreds of thousands of slaves participated in the rebellion.

Such a massive "slave revolt" is unique in China.

Finally, the Qing army, advancing south, managed to suppress the slave rebellion. The massive slave rebellion in Jiangnan failed due to the combined efforts of the Qing army and the powerful clans of Jiangnan.

However, the Jiangnan slave rebellion also caused enormous social damage.

If the deep-seated problem of powerful clans seizing population is not resolved, a large-scale slave revolt will inevitably break out in the Ming Dynasty sooner or later.

The Ming Dynasty's system was able to last for two or three hundred years for two main reasons: first, it benefited from the rule of the Han Chinese themselves, which naturally provided legitimacy; second, the sophisticated nature of the upper-level politics largely offset the short-lived effect of the lax control at the grassroots level.

The later Qing dynasty learned from this lesson and, by utilizing Manchu military force, improved grassroots politics compared to the Ming dynasty, gaining much stronger control over the local population and making up for its shortcomings to some extent. Logically, its reign should have been much longer than the Ming dynasty's. However, because it was ruled by a foreign ethnic group, its legitimacy was lacking, so it only lasted for a little over two hundred years, not longer than the Ming dynasty.

Zhu Yin's goal was to regain control of grassroots politics through force, thereby implementing effective digital governance. Coupled with the fact that it wasn't a foreign rule, the Ming Dynasty could potentially last for several more centuries.

So, wouldn't Sichuan be the best pilot area? Because Sichuan wasn't a province that had voluntarily submitted before; it was a place he had rescued from the rebels with his army. Moreover, it was relatively independent, with a mix of Han and non-Han peoples, and the power of the scholar-official class was relatively weak. Plus, there was Zhu Xuanqi, a relatively enlightened and virtuous king.

Should we start by counting the population of Sichuan?
"Please give your instructions, Grand Tutor." Wang Jiguang's voice interrupted Zhu Yin's thoughts.

He noticed that this unusually young regent was somewhat distracted after looking at the registers.

Zhu Yin regained his composure and said gently, "General Wang, please continue to serve as the Governor of Sichuan. The others shall remain in their original positions, and everything shall remain as before for the time being. Please do not have any reservations; this is all for the sake of the court and the Ming Dynasty."

Wang Jiguang cupped his hands and said, "This humble official thanks Grand Tutor Xie. We will, as always, assist Grand Tutor in governing Sichuan and share the Emperor's burdens. I'm sure the Emperor Emeritus knows our good intentions; one stroke cannot describe two great Ming dynasties."

Both sides were aware of the situation; one was willing to offer a way out, and the other was willing to accept it.

Zhu Yin then said loudly, "The royal army has arrived late, and the people of Chengdu have been frightened. Please rise and excuse yourselves from the formalities, and return to the city as you see fit! I am fully aware of your concern!"

Upon hearing this, the people bowed and paid their respects again before returning to the city and dispersing.

Wang Jiguang pointed to the location of the rebel camp and said, "Grand Tutor, She Chongming's main tent is in Zhaojue Temple. Zhaojue Temple is a famous temple in Sichuan, but unfortunately it was occupied by the rebels, and the monks fled into the city for refuge. Now that the city has been liberated, can we allow the monks to return to the temple?"

Zhu Yin knew that he had been invited by the monks and did not want to offend him, so he nodded and said, "Alright. The monks can return to the temple tomorrow after the battlefield is cleaned up."

However, Zhu Yin did not have a good impression of Zhaojue Temple. Today, the battlefield stretching for miles is all fertile farmland outside the city. And these thousands of acres of fertile land all belong to Zhaojue Temple.

This battle was fought on the estates of Zhaojue Temple. Zhaojue Temple also owned estates in other places, totaling tens of thousands of acres. The battlefield was just one of many estates belonging to Zhaojue Temple.

What do temples need this land for? Are they still monks? How many households not registered in the national registry are they hiding?
What further disgusted Zhu Yin was that Zhaojue Temple was a Tantric Buddhist temple, and its monks were Tibetan monks from Tibet. Sichuan bordered Tibet, where Tantric Buddhism was quite prevalent and was showing signs of intensifying. Later, when Zhang Xianzhong occupied Sichuan, he turned his sword against the temples to raise funds for his army, massacring more than 30,000 monks and destroying more than 400 temples, which objectively eradicated Tantric Buddhism.

Hmm, if we're going to search for household registrations in Sichuan, could we start with Zhaojue Temple? Zhaojue Temple is a large landowner temple and a major Tantric Buddhist temple, so it must have a considerable number of people living there. If we can find something to hold against the temple, we can use that as a starting point.

The officials never expected that this regent would take advantage of the great victory to target the weak and search for households in Sichuan and compile the Yellow Register.

The Imperial Inspector Li Shihua said, "As the sun sets, a banquet has been prepared in the city to welcome the Grand Tutor, celebrate the great victory, and to welcome him into the city to take charge of the overall situation."

Zhu Yin naturally wanted to enter the city to further assert the Southern Dynasty's sovereignty over Sichuan and downplay the Northern Dynasty's influence on Sichuan.

But he did a few things before entering the city.

First, he ordered the release of tens of thousands of Han laborers imprisoned by the rebels, as well as hundreds of Han women. Second, he ordered the immediate burning of the rebel corpses and the burial of the bodies of the Ming soldiers who had died in battle.

Third, Ning Qingchen's military medical battalion was tasked with treating the wounded soldiers.

Fourth, all the spoils were registered and recorded. In addition to warhorses and elephants, there were more than 30,000 mules and horses, more than 70,000 shi of grain, 150,000 bundles of fodder, 280,000 taels of gold and silver looted by the rebels, more than 30,000 Yi knives, and 1,600 shi of salt.

Fifth, take Xiao Hei to the rebel camp and find the clothes and bedding that She Chongming used in the tent of Zhaojue Temple, so that Xiao Hei can complete the target scent collection.

After finishing all this, it was almost dark. Zhu Yin ordered the army to rest outside the city, and then let the Jinghai Army take over the city gates before leading his main generals, staff, Qingchen, Xiaohei, and others into the city.

Upon entering the city, the bustling city of Chengdu, bathed in the glow of lanterns, was dazzling and enchanting, showcasing the enchanting atmosphere of the Land of Abundance. What a magnificent ancient capital in the southwest, a renowned city of China, rich in natural resources and charm!

Zhu Yin rode his horse to admire the city's night view, feeling as if he were in a dream. If Nanjing, with its beautiful scenery and the ten-mile-long Qinhuai River, is a refined and elegant lady, then Chengdu is a bold and passionate mysterious witch.

Chengdu's night view possesses a unique charm reminiscent of the Bashan and Shu regions. While the spirit of Chinese civilization is indeed strong and intense, the pavilions, bridges, streets, markets, and stages amidst the dazzling lights also exude a lingering and tranquil ancient Shu style.

Walking side by side, Yang Yinglong laughed and said, "Brother Zhihu, is this your first time in Chengdu? This brocade city truly lives up to its reputation."

This dignified ruler of Bozhou considerately acted as a tour guide, enthusiastically introducing the place to his fellow sworn brothers:

"That highest pavilion is the Coal Hill Stage in the rear garden of the Shu Prince's Mansion... That's the Jinshui Street Lantern Market, with three thousand lanterns of nine different kinds hanging along the two-mile-long street... That's the Daci Temple built by Yang Guifei of the Tang Dynasty, where storytelling, opera, and sumo wrestling take place in the square in front of the temple, making it incredibly lively every night. There's also the City God Temple Fair, which is extremely lively, with stages set up every day for face-changing performances..."

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "As expected of Chengdu, the city of Jin Guan, a place of cultural refinement and prosperity in the southwest, there is no better place than here."

Chengdu truly is Chengdu. Whether in ancient times or in later generations, it remains a treasure land.

Zhu Yin was suddenly inspired to write poetry, and couldn't help but slow his pace and recite:

The rebel flag was pulled down at Zhaojue Temple during the day.

I gazed at the shadowy city of Chengdu at night.

Listening to the opera from afar on horseback at Coal Hill
I leisurely stroll along, watching the golden lanterns.

...

Yang Yinglong laughed and said, "Brother Zhihu commanded with such composure, wielding a feather fan and wearing a silk turban, annihilating the rebel army with ease. Only in this way could this city's unparalleled prosperity be preserved. Brother Zhihu's poem is full of heroic spirit and uprightness; it can be described as the words of a hero in full bloom."

Yang Kedong, who was following behind him, chuckled to himself, thinking, "My father has always been arrogant and disdainful of everyone, so why has he become so timid and gentle after meeting the Grand Tutor?"

The group followed Wang Jiguang and his entourage across the brightly lit Jinshui Street. As they passed the archway in front of the Shu Prince's Mansion, they saw a royal procession standing there, surrounding a magnificently dressed king, who was none other than the Shu Prince.

"Haha!" The King of Shu laughed twice. "Prime Minister Wang, I have a favor to ask. How about you host another banquet for the Grand Tutor tomorrow? I would like to invite the Grand Tutor to my residence for a chat, as a token of my loyalty to the Emperor."

“This…” Wang Jiguang frowned and could only look at Zhu Yin.

Logically, the King of Shu should have been the most prestigious. However, the King of Shu had no real power and, according to regulations, could not casually associate with ministers, especially not with powerful ministers like Zhu Yin.

But what is the current situation? Whether it is taboo or not, only the Regent's Grand Tutor can decide.

Zhu Yin dismounted and said with a smile, "Since Your Highness has condescended to invite me, how could I dare to refuse Your Highness's order? Then I will first go to the Prince's residence to pay my respects, and tomorrow I will meet with the worthy men of this province."

Wang Jiguang knew that since the Prince of Shu had taken the initiative to speak, he should definitely defer to him. As for the banquet, it wouldn't be too late to hold it tomorrow; in fact, it would be more relaxed and allow for more thorough preparation.

"In that case, we will take our leave. Grand Tutor, please!"

Wang Jiguang and the others, being quite sensible, immediately took their leave. They didn't know what the Prince of Shu wanted to say to Zhu Yin, but it was certainly something extraordinary. Prince Zhu Xuanqi of Shu was a wise and prudent ruler who wouldn't create unnecessary mystery.

Zhu Yin, accompanied by guards Lan Cha and Hong Ying, as well as Qing Chen and others, followed the Prince of Shu into the magnificent and imposing Prince of Shu's mansion.

The King of Shu led Zhu Yin to the hall with the highest level of etiquette: the Hall of Intention.

The Cunxin Hall, located behind the Cunxin Palace, was where princes and members of the imperial family performed family rituals, where heirs were married, and where ladies of the court paid homage. It was also used to receive close and distinguished guests.

The reason why the King of Shu invited Zhu Yin here is quite intriguing.

The host and guests entered, and Lancha stood below in the hall. Zhu Yin valued his life highly, and on many occasions, Lancha was always by his side, carrying a spiked club.

Even if he were to meet the King of Shu at this time, it would be the same.

After sitting down before the magnificent silk tapestry screen and exchanging pleasantries over tea, the King of Shu got straight to the point:

"I, Wang, have been presumptuous and asked this abruptly. I hope the Grand Tutor will forgive me. May I ask if the Grand Tutor is a member of the Ming imperial family?"

Zhu Yin was taken aback, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the Prince of Shu to be so direct.

too direct!

But on second thought, being direct is actually the smart thing to do right now.

Zhu Xuanqi is no ordinary person.

Zhu Yin did not immediately admit it, but smiled slightly, "Why does Your Highness ask such a question?"

He wanted to hear what the King of Shu actually knew. His ears were very sharp; he could hear that there seemed to be a person hiding behind the painted screen and the beaded curtains, and the faint scent of a woman's perfume wafted from it.

Zhu Yin was very familiar with this perfume; it was a luxury brand developed by Ningyin Trading Company.

Who is hiding behind the curtain?

Zhu Xuanqi was unaware that Zhu Yin had already discovered the person behind the curtain. He observed Zhu Yin's expressions and immediately understood. His guess was correct!
Zhu Yin should be a descendant of Jianwen, which is the most reasonable explanation.

He stated without reservation: "In the fourth year of the Wanli reign, the Siamese envoy secretly reported that the descendants of Jianwen were on the island of Montreal and had become a prominent clan. The followers who fled with Jianwen back then were already prominent Chinese families in Southeast Asia."

"The envoy secretly reported that the descendants of Jianwen had changed their surname to Wu on the surface, but in the secret genealogy they still used the surname Zhu, and the generational order was still determined by the ancestral teachings of Emperor Taizu for the eldest son's direct lineage: 'Yunwen Zun Zuxun, Qinwu Dajun Sheng'."

"The envoy also secretly reported that the descendants of Jianwen want to establish a kingdom in Southeast Asia and have already controlled the power of several small countries, making their royal families mere puppets. The Wu family plans to depose the royal families of these small countries, establish the Haiming Kingdom, and then send a fleet north to occupy Nanjing and reclaim the throne!"

"But later, Wu became enemies with foreigners who attempted to occupy Southeast Asian countries and was defeated by them..."

"It was a secret at the time. After receiving the secret report, the court did not discuss it or leak it. This rumor could only circulate among the high-ranking officials in a small circle. No one dared to be sure if it was true or false."

"But a few months ago, the Grand Tutor launched the Jingnan Campaign, supported Prince Xin's ascension to the throne in Nanjing, and even transferred troops from Southeast Asia. I heard that the Grand Tutor's sister, Wu You, is already engaged to the Duke of Wei. Are all these coincidences?"

Looking at Zhu Xuanqi's cautious expression, Zhu Yin suddenly smiled and said, "Your Highness knows quite a lot. Now that things have come to this, I have nothing to hide. My family name is Zhu Dazhao, a seventh-generation descendant of the Jianwen Emperor."

"Speaking of which, Your Highness is a generation older than me, so I should call you Uncle Wang."

"Zhu Dazhao!" Zhu Xuanqi's heart skipped a beat when he heard this name.

Zhu Yin admitted it; he was indeed a descendant of Jianwen, a ninth-generation descendant of the founding emperor and a seventh-generation descendant of Jianwen!

In terms of seniority, I am indeed his uncle!

"So that's how it is..." The King of Shu's expression was incredibly complicated, "...he really is a relative of the Ming Dynasty..."

But then Zhu Yin said, "Uncle of the King of Shu, why is someone eavesdropping on such private conversations behind the curtain?"

Seeing that Zhu Yin had discovered someone behind the curtain, Zhu Xuanqi could only clap his hands and say:

"Shuning, come out and greet your brother. We are all family, there's no need to stand on ceremony or distinguish between men and women."

"Yes!" A slightly childish voice rang out, and then the curtain was lifted, revealing a young girl in her prime, who gracefully bowed and said:

"Younger sister Shuning greets elder brother!"

...

P.S.: This chapter serves as a transition before the next major battle; the main plot remains suppressing the rebellion. Thank you, and please vote with your monthly tickets and leave a review!

(End of this chapter)