Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 146 The Problems of the Ming Dynasty Today (Part 3)
After Wu Kongjia stepped down, just when everyone thought the storm could finally come to a temporary end and they could catch their breath.

Another figure stepped out from the queue.

It is Qi Xin Xiao (齐心孝).

A barely suppressed commotion immediately erupted in the hall.

besides?

Is that groundbreaking, mind-blowing speculation still not the end?
What kind of situation will this new ruler, this young emperor, push them into today?

Qi Xinxiao ignored the stares around him and simply walked forward in silence.

He mimicked the emperor's manner, expressionlessly surveying the surroundings. Wherever his gaze fell, the officials who were still whispering unconsciously fell silent.

Once the hall was completely quiet, he slowly spoke in a tone devoid of any emotion.

"The estimate of 190 million is indeed as you all have doubted, and we are also worried that there may be errors or omissions in it."

His first words made many officials in the hall subconsciously breathe a sigh of relief.

It turns out they knew the number was inaccurate.

“Throughout the years, there have been numerous floods, droughts, plagues, border conflicts, and the rampant infanticide in the south... all of these factors have contributed to population loss. Therefore, this number may be too high.”

Qi Xinxiao spoke in a flat tone, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"Therefore, to be on the safe side, we will temporarily set this number at 150 million."

He paused, looking over the crowd.

"Gentlemen, do you find this reasonable?"

There was a dead silence in the hall.

Forty million people were cut off, which is almost 70% of the entire population recorded in the imperial register of the Ming Dynasty!
This "concession," so enormous yet so ingenious, instantly bypassed the psychological defenses of those officials who had just been seeking solace in data errors.

What else could they say?
Is 150 million still too much?
But they've already voluntarily cut 40 million. If you continue to question them, you're just being unreasonable and afraid to face the problem.

Seeing that no one objected, Qi Xinxiao continued, "However, the number of 150 million is still unprecedented in the history of China. And this number will continue to grow."

He reached out his hand.

The eunuchs beside him immediately understood and continued turning the page.

Everyone looked at it.

This time, the screen no longer displayed strange graphics, but rather the table style that Kyoto residents had gradually become accustomed to.

The table on the left is an estimate of the future population growth and food consumption of the Ming Dynasty.

The table on the right is an estimate of the total grain output of the world.

"If we calculate that each person needs five dou of grain per month, then the annual requirement is six shi of grain."

Qi Xinxiao's voice, like a cold carving knife, etched this cruel reality into everyone's minds, stroke by stroke.

"The table on the left side of this chart lists the population growth for each year thereafter, as well as the total amount of grain required."

Everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the form.

When their gaze slid to the line "171 years later, 350 million", many people's pupils suddenly contracted.

Qi Xinxiao gave them enough time to process this suffocating set of numbers.

He waited until he estimated that everyone had seen enough before continuing to speak, his voice now slightly hoarse.

"And the diagram on the right is an estimate of the total grain output of the world."

"During the Wanli era, Prime Minister Zhang Taiyue implemented the assessment system, which re-examined the land area throughout the country. Although the results were not entirely accurate, they were not far off."

"The total land area of ​​our Great Ming Dynasty is approximately 700 million mu."

"However, the land varies in fertility, and the crops also vary in type, such as rice, wheat, millet, and sorghum. The yields vary, with some yielding three shi per mu, some one shi, and even a few yielding three to five dou."

"We do not know how to define the average yield per mu in the world, so we have to use a clumsy method."

He pointed to the form on the right.

“We calculated the average yield per mu of land across the country, from one shi to three shi.”

"If the average yield per mu in the world reaches three shi, then the land of our Great Ming can still support the needs of 350 million people. In other words, the Great Ming can last for another 171 years."

At this point, he paused deliberately, mimicking Zhu Youjian's manner.

"However, can the average yield per mu (unit of land area) reach three shi (unit of volume)?"

He asked himself the question and answered it, his tone carrying a hint of cold sarcasm.

"I'm afraid it won't even reach two shi (a unit of dry measure)."

"Therefore, the land of my Great Ming can support a maximum of 230 million people! If it exceeds that, the average monthly food allowance will have to be reduced from five dou to four dou, or even three dou!"

"Three measures!"

Qi Xinxiao's voice suddenly rose!

"Do you all know what the 'three dou' refers to? The orphanages in the capital of our Great Ming Dynasty, specifically established for orphans and widows, provide them with exactly three dou per month!"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, using all his strength, repeating the words that the young emperor had whispered in his ear the day before, words that still sent chills down his spine to this day.

"At that time, every river and every canal in the two capitals and thirteen provinces of my Great Ming will be filled with dead infants!"

Upon hearing this, the entire Imperial Palace seemed to be struck by an invisible lightning bolt.

Everyone felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads, and every hair on their body stood on end.

The scene was so vivid and so cruel that just imagining it was enough to shake the minds of these pampered high-ranking officials.

After Qi Xinxiao finished speaking, he turned around, bowed deeply to the throne, and silently withdrew.

The hall was deathly silent.

Just when everyone thought the series of attacks had finally ended, they subconsciously looked at the last person in the queue who had not yet appeared—Luo Yangxing, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

However, Luo Yangxing simply stood there, head bowed, motionless.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had struggled to their feet from the brink of drowning.

Thank goodness, it's gone.

Just then, Zhu Youjian, who had been sitting silently on the throne, finally spoke.

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power, breaking the suffocating silence.

"Gentlemen, please share your opinions."

He turned his gaze to Huang Liji, who was sitting in the front row.

"Minister, you speak first."

A cool autumn breeze blew in from outside the hall, brushing against Huang Liji's official robe.

This chief minister, who was adept at navigating officialdom and knew how to navigate social situations, was suddenly surprised to find that his vest was soaked with cold sweat.

He stood up, his white beard trembling slightly, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

He hesitated for a moment, organizing his thoughts, before finally speaking hesitantly.

"Your Majesty... this official document is incisive and insightful, with a commanding viewpoint, almost like... almost like the heavens looking down upon the mortal world. In my opinion, it can be called the greatest masterpiece of all time."

He first gave it a very high evaluation, then changed the subject.

"Based on this article, the difficulties encountered by the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, the end of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and the fall of the Song Dynasty were not as severe as those faced by our Great Ming Dynasty today."

After laying the groundwork, he glanced up at the inscrutable young emperor on the throne, ultimately betraying his consistent principle of self-preservation in officialdom.

Many things can be compromised.

But some things... cannot be compromised!
He gritted his teeth, as if making a huge decision, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask, is this what you are doing today... to start a war?"

Upon hearing this, the ministers reacted in various ways.

The nobles looked excited, exchanging glances, all eager to try.

Meanwhile, the civil officials mostly frowned, their faces filled with worry. Expanding territory and waging wars were almost the most direct and effective way to solve the problem of "insufficient land to support the people."

After all, there is always a quota for the land produced in the world. Could it really be that the average yield is three shi (a unit of dry measure)? That would be nothing short of wishful thinking.

Therefore, faced with such a cruel and perilous situation, even though the civil officials were worried, they could not come up with any strong rebuttal.

However, Zhu Youjian, sitting on the throne, merely raised an eyebrow, then shook his head and chuckled softly.

"Prime Minister, you still see me as an impatient young man."

His tone was relaxed, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"At present, the administration is not clean, the people are not pacified, the borders are not settled, and the tax revenue is not abundant. How can we talk about conquest so recklessly?"

"I am not a fool like Yang Guang, so please rest assured, Grand Secretary."

Upon hearing this, Huang Lijie's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, immediately settled back into his stomach, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

He was really scared!

He feared that this new emperor, whose intelligence bordered on the supernatural, had been laying the groundwork for so long since his ascension to the throne, and that his ultimate goal was to emulate history books and expand the territory.

However, Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Yang of Sui had completely different fates!
Zhu Youjian ignored Huang Liji and, after thinking for a moment, turned his gaze to Han Kuang.

"Han Qing, what do you think?"

Han Kuang stood up and sighed with a complicated expression.

"Your Majesty, this 'conflict between people and land' is indeed the most pressing problem facing our Great Ming Dynasty today. Even if it causes some unrest among the people, it is truly nothing to worry about if we can clarify this issue today."

He first affirmed the value of today's lecture, which was a correction to his previous vehement opposition, and then bowed and asked:

"Does Your Majesty have a solution to this question in mind?"

Zhu Youjian shook his head again.

"Today we will not discuss solutions, but only problems. If the problems are not thoroughly discussed, the solutions will be castles in the air."

He glanced at the main hall and randomly called on a few ministers, but their answers were either the same old tune of "emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, and strictly prohibiting refugees" or empty words of "advocating frugality and allowing the people to rest," which displeased him.

The entire hall fell into deep thought once again.

How much deeper can we go on this question? We've already laid bare our innermost thoughts and exhausted all possibilities, haven't we?
Finally, Zhu Youjian's gaze fell on an inconspicuous spot in the corner of the palace.

There sat a tall, stern-faced official who stood out somewhat from the group of civil officials who generally appeared frail.

"Sun Chuanting".

Zhu Youjian spoke calmly.

Sun Chuanting, whose name was called, was visibly taken aback for a moment, and then immediately stood up and stepped forward.

As he stood up, he stood out even more from the crowd. His imposing figure made him look more like a seasoned military general than a civil official.

Many officials in the hall cast questioning glances at him and whispered among themselves.

"Who is this person?"

"He seems to be a former secretary in the Ministry of Personnel's Merit Evaluation Department, only a fifth-rank official. How could he be able to attend today's meeting?"

Sun Chuanting ignored the comments of others and addressed the throne in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, I believe that... our Great Ming Dynasty will not have ninety years."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked!

All eyes immediately turned to him.

Facing everyone's gaze, Sun Chuanting remained neither humble nor arrogant, and continued, "The gentlemen just now," he said, bowing respectfully to Ni Yuanlu, Wu Kongjia, and the others, "while your assessment of the average yield per mu and average grain consumption across the country is comprehensive, it is somewhat... lacking in detail."

He took a deep breath and looked up at the young emperor on the throne.

"Land varies in fertility, and people vary in wealth; the same applies to all prefectures and counties in the world."

"Perhaps in some fertile lands, the people can live in peace for another ninety years, or even longer."

"But in some barren places, there is probably already dry wood everywhere, just waiting for... a raging fire!"

A glint of approval flashed in Zhu Youjian's eyes. He nodded and, following Sun Chuanting's words, asked:

Is it Shaanxi?

Upon hearing those two words, Sun Chuanting's eyes first flashed with surprise, then turned into understanding and admiration, and he nodded heavily.

"Your Majesty! It's Shaanxi!"

"According to the deductions in this official document, if there is not enough land to feed the people, the common people will inevitably rise up in rebellion and wander around. Wherever the refugees go, they will burn, kill, and loot, leaving the fields barren, and the grain produced will become even more insufficient. The less grain there is, the more people will join the rebels."

"This cycle will continue indefinitely, and the collapse of the world will inevitably begin in one corner of the land before sweeping across the entire world!"

"As for when this matter will occur, it may be a natural disaster, a cruel official, or a border incident... This is beyond my knowledge."

After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply to the throne.

Inside the hall, you could hear a pin drop.

Zhu Youjian remained silent for a moment, and finally a genuine smile appeared on his face.

He clapped his hands softly.

"color!"

A shout of praise broke the silence.

Zhu Youjian looked at him and spoke slowly.

"Sun Chuanting, I will remember you."

Upon hearing this, all the officials in the hall cast complex glances at Sun Chuanting, a mixture of envy, jealousy, and regret.

Those who had also thought of this but had no chance to be chosen by the emperor, or those who dared not stand up to speak, were especially heartbroken.

Sun Chuanting suppressed the pounding in his heart, bowed to express his gratitude, and returned to his original seat.

His heart was pounding.

This emperor is different from the Tianqi Emperor!
Do not!
He seems to be unlike any emperor in history!
Sun Chuanting's groundbreaking statement earlier caused the slightly relaxed atmosphere in the hall to freeze again.

"Shaanxi", "bandits", "not ninety years"...

These assertions are all absolutely correct. Apart from the scholars of the Hanlin Academy and the nobles, who may not have had much contact with political affairs and therefore do not have a deep understanding of them, the people in the palace are all correct.

The other civil officials, whether in office or reinstated, had nothing to say about this inference.

On the throne, Zhu Youjian's words, "I will remember you," evoked a complex mix of emotions in everyone present.

They thought that this thrilling lecture was about to end.

After all, what could be more shocking than "deducing" the exact location and manner of a country's demise?
I'll go home, take a shower, light some incense, and think about what kind of important document to write.

After all, this new emperor is so shrewd and experienced; he doesn't seem like someone who usually lives deep in the palace.

Who would be so brainless as to rush headlong into things? Even if something is difficult or something you don't want to do, you have to do it behind the scenes.

However, the emperor did not stop.

On the throne, Zhu Youjian's voice rang out once more.

"As Minister Sun said, the time of our Great Ming Dynasty can never be ninety years. Ninety years is just the most ideal state."

He paused, then changed the subject, a profound look flashing in his eyes.

"However, the complexity of the world is far more than just the factor that Minister Sun mentioned."

"Never mind, I won't say any more. Listen to what I have to say and you will understand."

His gaze finally fell upon the Jinyiwei commander, who had remained silent like a statue from beginning to end.

"Luo Yangxing".

"Now it is your turn."

(End of this chapter)