Yuan Keli said for this reason: "It seems that the internal and external officials and troops cannot be abolished now."
"Not only cannot it be abolished, but it must also be expanded and implemented military reforms. The guard system is no longer appropriate. This defense-oriented military organization model is not suitable as a base for attacking barbarians! Our Ming Dynasty now needs a standing army of millions of people. This standing army needs to consume our Ming Dynasty’s countless steel cannons, guns and ammunition, and then exchange them for valuable resources! These resources include slaves.”
Zhu Youxiao replied.
At this time, Liu Hongxun said: "Even so, does this contradict our proposition of prohibiting slavery? After all, it is now recognized by everyone in China that people cannot be slaves. Huang Taiji is a traitor and a traitor." The world can understand that war criminals are tortured by hard labor, but if we ourselves rob foreign barbarians as slaves, it would be difficult to announce this to the world."
Bi Ziyan was more tactful than Liu Hongxun, so he said at this time: "So, in my opinion, what the country needs to determine is whether, except for our Chinese people, the foreign barbarians are human beings. First of all, the barbarians are fond of killing and have no humanity. Secondly, they have no human ethics. In addition, they are arrogant and ignorant of etiquette, and some even like to eat human flesh. Therefore, they are no different from animals and cannot be regarded as human beings."
Zhu Youxiao looked at Bi Ziyan and listened carefully to Bi Ziyan's remarks. He seemed to feel very familiar and familiar with Bi Ziyan's questions at this time.
After pondering for a moment, Zhu Youxiao thought of it.
He remembered that historically, after the Western colonists discovered the Americas and entered the expansion of capital, they also discussed the issue of whether the Native American Indians were human in nature. In the end, because they wanted to accumulate primitive capital, they began to think that the Indians were not themselves. a species.
And Zhu Youxiao found that the officials of the Ming Dynasty were also beginning to have this tendency. For the benefit of their own country, they began to psychologically deny that people of other races were human beings to convince themselves and persuade themselves of aggressive behavior.
Just like many scholar-bureaucrats before, they did not truly regard ordinary people as citizens.
Zhu Youxiao laughed because of this.
He knew that he, the emperor, could not stop his ministers from thinking this way.
Because he cannot use the rules of future generations to require his ministers to treat all humans on the earth as equals.
"Then let the Ministry of Rites discuss this matter, with Bi Aiqing presiding over it. It can also serve as a reference for the court's treatment of barbarians in the future."
Zhu Youxiao nodded and said.
"According to the order!"
Bi Ziyan replied that he was in charge of the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of Rites, and he knew better than anyone else how Ming Dynasty should treat people other than Ming Dynasty citizens, which was in the best interests of Ming Dynasty at the moment.
"In my opinion, the Ming court treated its own people differently from the barbarians. The reason is very simple. The people of the Ming Dynasty were born and raised here. They have been influenced by the kings of the holy religion since they were young, and they all belong to the Yanhuang family. To be unified, we should be nobler than the barbarians! If we treat the barbarians and the people of the Ming Dynasty as the same kind, then the dignity of our people, the people of the Ming Dynasty, will not survive!"
Bi Ziyan first expressed his views.
"This is a big fallacy! Although there are differences between Huayi and Huayi, all races are distinguished by nobles and inferiors! How can you say that the untouchables of another country live above the nobles of other countries? If you say so, then a commoner of our Ming Dynasty who kills an envoy of a foreign vassal should also be considered Do you think his crime is less serious than killing a civilian in our country?"
Zhang Jie, the minister of Dali Temple, retorted and asked Bi Ziyan a question.
After asking, Zhang Jie laughed.
Because many rulers in this era actually had no concept of nationality, and did not think that their own people should be nobler than foreign nobles. They would even often use foreign envoys to avoid conflicts between countries when conflicts arise between foreign envoys and their own people. , preferring foreign envoys.
Of course, this does not mean that those in power are weak.
It’s just that there is no nationalist thought.
For example, according to historical records, in the 14th year of Chenghua, a "tributary envoy was robbed" occurred. Since a North Korean envoy was robbed, on the advice of Wang Yue, the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate at the time, he should be separated from others. Different from other theft cases, they must be dealt with seriously and investigated strictly, and the progress of the case must be informed to the North Korean envoy.
In the end, the Jin Yiwei, who were usually not active in detecting theft cases, quickly caught the main culprit. The imperial court beheaded Zhang Zheng and other 11 people in the market, and displayed their heads to the public where the North Korean envoys were about to pass. place to make it visible.
It can be seen that the rulers of this era did treat foreign envoys differently from their own people. Compared with their own people, the imperial court valued the life and property safety of foreign envoys more, and also cared more about the image of the state among foreign envoys. , and even surrendered his status as a celestial dynasty, and did not hesitate to severely punish his own people in order to make foreign envoys barbaric.
Although in today's Tianqi Dynasty, Yuan Chonghuan has killed North Korean envoys and also killed North Korean marshals, this is just the emperor's connivance and can only be regarded as an exception.
Even Emperor Zhu Youxiao's cruel treatment of foreign affairs is not in line with the image of a virtuous king in the eyes of most people nowadays.
Therefore, Zhang Jie felt that if he asked this question, Bi Ziyan, who also received Confucian education, would not be able to answer him.
At this time, Bi Ziyan smiled and replied: "Of course! If the people of the Celestial Dynasty are not as noble as outsiders, what kind of Celestial Dynasty is that? What kind of dignity does it have?"
Zhang Jie was speechless for a moment. He didn't expect Bi Ziyan to admit it directly.
"Absurd! Doing this will make it impossible for countries to live in harmony, and war will only rage! We must treat foreigners with courtesy, and treat our own people with laws. The Buddha said that all living beings are equal, no matter how high or low they are, how can they be equal? It can be linked to the level of civilization, so the so-called nobility should be related to status!"
Liu Zongzhou, the Minister of Punishment, put forward his own different views. He was a great Confucian at that time, so he naturally advocated ethics.
"My servant thinks that what Liu Gong said is wrong. In terms of status, isn't the royal dog raised by your Majesty in the army more noble than Liu Gong?"
Bi Ziyan asked.
"you!"
Liu Zongzhou stood up immediately, his face turning red instantly.
But at this time, Zhang Jie asked: "How can we judge the superiority of different breeds? Royal dogs can only say that other dogs are noble, but how can they be compared with humans."
"We, the people of the Ming Dynasty, are not of the same species. Are they humans, or are we humans?"
Bi Ziyan replied.
"They are all human beings! "Li Yun" says: Human beings are the heart of heaven and earth, the end of the five elements, and are those born from food, taste, sounds, and color. According to birds, beasts, dogs, and trees, they are all born from heaven and earth. It cannot be the heart of heaven and earth; it is only human beings who have the heart of heaven and earth. Therefore, being born in heaven and earth is extremely precious. Foreigners also have the heart of heaven and earth, so they are also considered human beings!"
Liu Zongzhou sat back at this time.
Bi Ziyan continued to reply: "Wrong! There are many people in the foreign chapters who do not have the heart of heaven and earth. The heart of heaven and earth must have the virtues of heaven and earth, must have good thoughts, and must be transformed from the king. As the servants see, there are many foreign films. Those who are not as enlightened as our people of the Ming Dynasty, do not have the virtues of heaven and earth, or whose virtues are not as good as our Han people. Of course, there are those who have the virtues of heaven and earth, but these must be those who are close to kings, and those who do not have the virtues of heaven and earth are obviously not human beings, or are inferior to us. As a Han Chinese, I can only be considered half a human being, and only those who are completely transformed into kings can be considered as adults!"
"Even if they are not human beings and are not as noble as the people of their own country, how can the rulers ruin diplomatic relations by favoring their own people when their own people are in conflict with foreign countries?"
Liu Zongzhou continued to ask.
"In order to treat foreign countries with courtesy and wronged the people of the country, things have always happened before the Holy Emperor came to the throne, but I would like to ask Liu Gong, did he have no conflict with foreign countries because of this? Japanese rebellion and chaos have always been Those who take the initiative to invade and plunder the country, it can be seen that treating them with courtesy will not work, so they must use force! Control them with power!"
Bi Ziyan replied.
…
"Bi Ziyan refuted it very well. The people of the country should be nobler than the foreigners. No matter whether the foreigners are the princes, nobles or civilian slaves in the country, and whether the people of the country are the princes, nobles or common people, the latter must be higher than the former. Nobility can be reflected in laws and regulations. A book of laws concerning foreign countries can be established. It is proposed to establish a compilation department of the "Regulations on Punishment for Foreign Countries". Bi Ziyan will also serve as the president, and he will be asked to recommend a vice president. , compile this book of laws as a legal basis for handling such cases in the future. In principle, for the same crime, if it is necessary to be executed immediately, the punishment for foreigners will be cut in half, and the people of this country will be reduced to execution and imprisonment."
Zhu Youxiao ordered this after receiving the results of this court meeting.
From this point on, under the promotion of some ministers, Emperor Zhu Youxiao officially issued an edict to begin to put his own people above foreigners in the form of laws and regulations.
However, this is not enough. As a Chinese from later generations, Zhu Youxiao has many painful histories about foreign invasions in his memory.
His benevolence may not be as good as that of the great Confucian Liu Zongzhou in this world, and he cannot treat all humans in the world equally, but he never minds using any means to strengthen his own interests in China, and try his best to make the peaceful and prosperous age of his Chinese people more peaceful. long.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao once again told Yuan Keli and other central ministers: "Since no one in the outside world is as noble as any of our people in the Ming Dynasty, and it should be regarded as the consensus of the world and the criterion for governing the country, then the original tribute system is no longer appropriate. , our country does not need any outsiders to surrender to us, it needs to be abolished!
Because they are not qualified to be my ministers to the Heavenly Dynasty. If they want to be our ministers to the Heavenly Dynasty, they must first accept Chineseization, they must first become people like our Han family, and they must learn Confucianism and know etiquette! You must first become a citizen of heaven! "
"Yes! The so-called tributary and vassalage, in fact, most of the foreigners took this opportunity to trade and earn benefits from our Ming Dynasty. Among them, the Mongolian tribes and Japanese lords loved to do this. In the past, some officials from the DPRK exposed it Regarding this matter, these foreigners often come to our Ming Dynasty pretending to be envoys, saying that they represent their monarchs, professing vassalage to our Ming Dynasty, and then offering some inferior tributes. In order not to be despised, the value of the gifts given by the dynasty is often several times the value of the tributes. ! So, every time you pay tribute, it’s basically a drain of national money and people’s wealth! Now that I think about it, it’s really not cost-effective. It’s better to change it.”
Yuan Keli replied.
"That's right! But this doesn't mean that foreigners can no longer communicate with our country, the Ming Dynasty, and can no longer learn our Chinese culture. Although they will no longer accept tribute from them in the future, they can come to our country in the name of individuals or officials. Studying abroad or doing business must be subject to certain restrictions. Students who study abroad are not allowed to learn trade skills, arithmetic, and the newly promoted subjects of physics, chemistry, and biology. There are also restrictions on doing business. Tobacco is not allowed to be sold, and all kinds of birds and animals are not allowed to be sold. For sale, the scale of the workshop involved in the investment cannot be too large. If it is large, it cannot be a major shareholder. It must be cooperated and guaranteed by domestic businessmen."
"In addition, in terms of studying abroad, some reward systems can be appropriately developed. Anyone who has achieved great results in studying Confucianism in the Ming Dynasty can be rewarded. Those who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of Confucianism can even be allowed to become a Ming Dynasty citizen."
"In the future, the Ministry of Rites will no longer be responsible for foreign affairs, and a separate Lifan Temple will be established. The official of the main hall will be the third grade. The original chief guest department and Huitong Hall officials of the Ministry of Rites will be promoted to Lifan Temple. In addition to being responsible for the original affairs of the foreign affairs, Lifan Temple will also He is responsible for the things just mentioned. In addition, he regularly funds the establishment of some literary societies, bribes some foreign scholar-officials, and provides them with financial inducements to publish books in the name of inviting them to give lectures and travel. Praise the greatness of the Celestial Dynasty! From the king to the people, everyone can be praised, so that foreigners only know the political clarity of the Celestial Dynasty, and the people of the Celestial Dynasty know etiquette, but do not know the bloodshed and cruelty on the way to the expansion of the Celestial Dynasty."
"Also, in order to strengthen the education of foreign students through the education of foreign students, let the cabinet join the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Rites, and the Lifan Temple to establish a university for the study of cultural knowledge, called Jingshi University, specializing in cultural teaching. , the same as the Imperial College, but an application system is implemented. Domestic students and above can apply. Foreign students must indicate their political tendency after returning to the country. Anyone who wants to seek self-reliance for their country will not be admitted! The university has two types of academic subjects. One category is undergraduate, and the other is preparatory. Domestic students go directly to undergraduate, while foreign students first undergo one year of formal formal and scientific education before taking the eight-part essay preparatory course. If they pass, they are promoted to undergraduate."
Zhu Youxiao continued to make a series of instructions.
And these instructions of his all pointed to one goal, which was to use cultural means to achieve the goal of assimilating people from foreign countries.
Just when Zhu Youxiao abolished the original tribute system and decided to start a new foreign exchange system, Lin Danhan had to instruct the Erut Ministry to come here after the Ming Dynasty's economic blockade caused a shortage of salt and tea in the country. The Ming Dynasty paid tribute and claimed vassal status to obtain corresponding supplies.
"After you sent envoys, you said that you could not bear the oppression of this Khan, and you wanted to surrender to the Ming Emperor Zhu Youxiao. He wanted to join the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Youxiao had always been ambitious, so he destroyed the Donglu not long ago, and He has always had the intention of dividing our Mongolian tribes, so when the time comes, he will definitely be happy for your surrender and will reward you generously. At the same time, your people will take this opportunity to trade in his capital!"
Lin Danhan said to Taiji Bamusen of the Erut Department at this time.
Balmusen couldn't help but said: "But our tribe doesn't have many good horses, most of them are bad horses."
Lin Danhan smiled and said: "Who cares about good horses and bad horses? Will he care about this? You just need to give more money to the officials who collect the horses."
Bamusen nodded because of this: "Then I will make this trip myself."
Therefore, Bamusen brought a group of bad horses as tribute to the Ningxia Town of the Ming Dynasty, and wrote a letter saying that he wanted to join the Ming Dynasty and pay tribute as a minister.
Yang Wenyue, the governor of Ningxia in the Ming Dynasty, did not dare to neglect and hurriedly reported the matter to the capital.
The Ming Dynasty had just abolished the tribute system, and naturally had no intention of giving Balmusen the opportunity to pay tribute, and directly rejected the Erut tribe's request for tribute.
"What, the Ming Dynasty will no longer implement the tribute system? This, this, are you not afraid of doing this, forcing us to have no choice but to keep plundering you?"
After Bamusen learned that he was rejected, he asked Yang Wenyue angrily.
Yang Wenyue sneered: "When there was a tribute system in the past, you also had many bandits raiding border towns. It can be seen that you failed to abide by the rules and disappointed the Holy Emperor, so you abolished the tribute."
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