Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 168 Tacitus' Trap [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Oh!"

As soon as Yan Maoqing finished speaking, Zhu Houcong felt the suffocating feeling in his chest return. He slammed his hand on the dragon bed in anger, his eyes filled with icy coldness.

"That's the money of the Ming Dynasty, the money of the nation, and my own money!"

"Did your ancestral graves emit black smoke, giving birth to such a reckless and ignorant creature like you, daring to plot against us?!"

No one knew how furious Zhu Houcong was at that moment, or how disappointed he was in Yan Maoqing's lack of ambition.

He had just made up his mind to keep a close eye on Yan Maoqing, correcting him constantly and taking precautions at all times, to ensure that this auspicious seedling would grow into a towering tree, rather than a crooked tree that would never amount to anything.

The seedling immediately twisted into a crooked branch.
Damn thing!

Since this fellow is so unpromising, don't blame me for taking this opportunity to teach him a lesson!
It also taught him what reverence is, what is permissible, and what is impermissible!

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your humble servant knows his crime!"

Yan Maoqing quickly dropped his fawning and obsequious attitude and kowtowed in fear and trepidation to apologize.

"I'm giving you one last chance. Say it again!"

Zhu Houcong stared intently at Yan Maoqing, his long-cultivated aura of superiority exerting a relentless pressure through his gaze.

He was determined to straighten out Yan Maoqing and help him get on the right path until he became a useful person.

Yan Maoqing must carefully accept the expectations he holds in his heart; if he dares to let them fall to the ground, he will be unforgivable!

“The Emperor’s teachings are glorious, but I was blinded by greed and deserve to die for this crime.”

Yan Maoqing slowly raised his head, his face still filled with fear. He hurriedly apologized and earnestly pleaded.

"There is still one thing that I do not understand, and I cannot get through to it. Your Majesty possesses immortal bones and is in harmony with the Dao. May I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me and dispel my doubts?"

"Humph!"

Zhu Houcong wanted this upright attitude from him, and first let out a satisfied snort.

Seeing that his subsequent words, which sounded like sermons, were quite agreeable, his anger lessened considerably, and he, like a teacher, rebuked him:
"Ask away!"

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask if Your Majesty will return the money of the Duke of Yi, the Duke of Ying, and the Duke of Cheng in full as I promised them, and whether Your Majesty will distribute the money of these powerful figures to them afterward?"

Yan Maoqing's attitude became more upright, and his eyes sparkled with a clear thirst for knowledge.

"???"

Zhu Houcong was slightly taken aback by the question.

Isn't this a contradiction?

Not long ago, he had followed Yan Maoqing's treacherous rhetoric and promised Zhu Xizhong and Zhang Rong that he would return their money in full, and he also personally promised that he would not mistreat them afterwards.

This was something we had no choice but to do.

After all, it wasn't because he was the emperor that the people below listened to him.

He was the emperor because the people below listened to him.

Therefore, even if he was the supreme emperor of the Ming Dynasty, if he wanted his subordinates to be loyal to him, he could not do so without giving them any benefits.

In some matters, one must even turn a blind eye and tacitly allow subordinates to take bribes and demand favors, using this corrupt officialdom to gain loyalty and flattery.

The same thing would have happened to Guo Xun, Zhu Xizhong, and Zhang Rong.

He needed the support of these dukes and nobles, and their assistance in taking control of the military power in the capital. Therefore, he could not harm their interests and even had to constantly offer them benefits to maintain their loyalty.

Therefore, the money they were forced to return this time must be returned in full, and afterwards, the money owed to the powerful and influential must be distributed to them...

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask again: Is this money the money of the Ming Dynasty, the money of the nation and its people, and the money of Your Majesty?"

Yan Maoqing then went straight to the point and asked the crucial question that was contradictory, staring intently at Zhu Houcong, who had fallen silent.

Zhu Houcong, of course, would not know.

Yan Maoqing didn't really want to take a share of the money, nor did he want anyone else to take a share of it.

This money is fundamentally different from the 400,000 taels of silver that Anda received; it is the real hard-earned money of the people, the blood and sweat of the Ming Dynasty's people.

Even if he could get the money, he wouldn't feel comfortable spending it...

Besides, he was someone who was content with a modest life.

He seriously doubted that he could spend all of the 400,000 taels of silver he had previously acquired in his next life. It was nothing more than material possessions that one could not take with one's life. The more he acquired, the more it felt like a burden.

He is now forcibly presenting this contradictory problem to Zhu Houcong.

The main purpose is to influence his perception of me, and it would be best to create a situation where even close brothers keep clear accounts, so as not to accidentally create some kind of bond between ruler and subject.

Is there a saying about marriage from later generations:
Let's talk business, don't make it like a wedding.

Yan Maoqing wanted to say.

The relationship between ruler and subject is the same as that between marriage.

Let's talk business, not like a king and his subjects, or father and son...

"Yan Maoqing, you...you dare ask me again!"

By now, Zhu Houcong couldn't possibly still be unaware of what's going on.

Anger instantly returned to his face, even his breathing became heavy, his chest heaved like a bellows, and his voice was squeezed out from between his teeth.

At this moment, he was utterly disappointed in Yan Maoqing!
That bastard!

Even now, though this fellow verbally admits fault, he still can't stop talking about money. Isn't he just trying to get a share of the profits from me?!

What kind of behavior is this?!

What I give him is what he deserves; what I don't give him, he has already openly reached out his hand!
They even resorted to such sophistry and eloquent ridicule, which, though not outright robbery, was no less blatant!

This damned bastard has gone too far! Does he really think I can tolerate his lawlessness time and time again?!
This sapling has probably grown completely crooked; there's no need to prune or cultivate it anymore...

"Father, please forgive me, I have no courage." Yan Maoqing indeed kowtowed and apologized, but the next second he straightened up and asked seriously,

"Since Your Majesty forbids me from asking these questions, I have no choice but to ask other questions instead."

"I wonder if Your Majesty is aware that at the beginning of your reign, you worked diligently to govern, reform the court, and implement new policies. Why then have some of your good ideas failed to be implemented?"

"Why is it that even though he has accomplished many great things that benefit the country and the people, he has never been able to gain the support of the people and has instead borne more infamy? In fact, a mere Confucian scholar in the countryside could easily slander him and completely negate his achievements?"

"?!"

Zhu Houcong was stunned again. He had wanted to ask this question for a long time.

Since ascending to the throne.

He curbed the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial, abolished the position of the garrison eunuchs, strengthened the supervisory system, and restricted the legal power of the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Eunuchs.
He issued several imperial edicts, ordering ministers in the two capitals, censors, and provincial governors to inquire about talented individuals, rectify the imperial examination system, advocate the use of three paths simultaneously, and reform and strengthen the administration of education.

He reformed the system of hereditary titles for maternal relatives, restricting their descendants from inheriting the titles, and made it a permanent system.

He severely punished those who embezzled and abused their power, inspected imperial estates and estates belonging to meritorious officials, and returned the land to the people.

He did his best to eliminate and reform every single problem left over from the previous Ming dynasty, and every single one of them was a measure that benefited the country and its people.

These measures, if placed in any dynasty, would probably qualify a ruler as a "wise ruler."

But what did he gain?
As Yan Maoqing said, even if he publicly announced and clarified the matter to the world.

He still couldn't win the trust of the people. They preferred to believe the slanderous words of a country bumpkin rather than believe that he was a "wise ruler," or at least that he had devoted himself to becoming one.

He is indeed the emperor, but he is also a human being who needs encouragement and support, and he needs positive feedback.

For a long time afterward, he couldn't understand why he had been working so hard...

"This is because the ruler has fallen into a terrible yet invisible trap."

Meeting Zhu Houcong's gaze, which was a mixture of resentment and doubt, Yan Maoqing straightened his chest and continued speaking.
"This trap does not originate from the ruler or father, but it is closely related to the ruler or father."

"Before the emperor ascended the throne, the dereliction of duty and infighting of some of the previous emperors had already plunged the Ming Dynasty into this trap, causing the imperial power to lose its credibility and the people to develop a fixed negative impression of the emperor."

"Once caught in such a trap, the people will think that the ruler is lying or doing bad things, whether he speaks the truth or lies, does good or bad things."

"Please think about it carefully, Father."

"Over the years, whether the emperor holds normal sacrificial ceremonies or is truly obsessed with Taoist rituals and metaphysical practices, is he always considered by the people to be a Taoist who disrupts the government?"

"Whether the emperor orders the repair of a palace destroyed by lightning or spends a huge sum of money to build altars in the four suburbs, won't the people all think it's just extravagant construction?"

"Even when the emperor ordered the suppression of bandits and robbers, rumors spread that the emperor was being cruel and that the people had no choice but to rebel?"

"That's what makes this trap so terrifying."

"Countless dynasties have fallen throughout history for various reasons, but the one thing they all have in common is that they all fell into this trap!"

"!!!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong's eyes widened, and his mouth involuntarily opened slightly as he stared at Yan Maoqing, speechless.

He had never heard of such a trap theory in his life.

But as he pondered Yan Maoqing's words, he discovered that the things he had experienced in the first half of his life were exactly the same as what this scoundrel had said.

He actually guessed everything I taught him correctly!

But little did he know.

This is the famous "Tacitus Trap" that later scholars summarized from ancient Roman history books.

At this moment, Zhu Houcong forgot his anger from just now, forgot about his pruning of Yan Maoqing, and couldn't help but blurt out:

"Yan Maoqing, do you know how I can escape this trap?"

"Wei Chen doesn't know."

Yan Maoqing shook his head, his gaze deep as he said,

"Your humble servant only knows that a thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole, and vice versa. The only constant in this world is that everything can be changed, even a trap."

"Sometimes we don't see changes simply because we haven't done enough."

"But as long as we take action, with less scheming and more sincerity, there will surely be someone in this world who can see it, just as I can see the wisdom and difficulties of my sovereign."

"therefore……"

"Your Majesty, I dare to ask again."

"The property that the Duke of Yi, the Duke of Ying, and the Duke of Cheng are returning this time all came from the previous encroachment on the interests of the people."

"Will Your Majesty return the money in full as I promised them, and will you distribute the money to the powerful and wealthy afterward?"

"Your Majesty, I am watching over you."

"The people of the world will see it one day!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong's gaze gradually shifted downwards, and his furrowed brows proved that he was already moved.

Then Yan Maoqing continued, his tone even more profound and his gaze even more sincere:

"so……"

“If Your Majesty does not return their property in full and does not distribute this money to them, I will not dare to have any further improper thoughts.”

"If Your Majesty insists on doing this... shouldn't you at least give me some to keep me fed?"

"Um???!!!"

Zhu Houcong suddenly looked up, his eyes wide as bulls, his gaze towards Yan Maoqing filled with disbelief.

That bastard that's practically smoking!
After all that buildup, I almost believed it... Turns out they were just lying in wait to ambush me!

(End of this chapter)