Chapter 69 Father and Son
The prince rarely objected fiercely and said: "Father, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the world was in chaos and the people were miserable. This is what you have seen, father. Now, the father has conquered the world and wiped out the heroes. Isn't it just to let the people live a better life?" In the days of peace, we should follow the ways of the late kings and keep the people in peace. Just because of He Xi’s simple words, we will not hesitate to mobilize the troops. Doing such a big thing is counterproductive. Father, have you forgotten what you said at the beginning? "
"As you said, if my father and my son have a thought or act, the people will suffer a hundred times the suffering and face all kinds of difficulties. Yes, He Xi is talented. But no matter how talented He Xi is, it is just the talent of one person. Confucianism The study of Tao is the wisdom of thousands of sages. Although it is not perfect, its followers are all over the government and the public. And He Xi is just one person. And many times it is easy to make mistakes, which makes He Xi's theory placed in the Confucian world. Position. Is it really perfect and can solve any problem?"
"If the benefits are not enough, the law will not change. It is not that I am unwilling to sort out the laws of this dynasty. Before, I never said a word 'no' in the cabinet system, the secretary-supervisory system, the official newspaper, the Taiping Iron Works, etc." "
"But although Liaodong is small, it is the land of the Ming Dynasty. Although the people of Liao are few, they are also the people of the Ming Dynasty. Although the people of Goryeo are in the enemy's country, they are still human beings. For He Xi's own delusions, the city is filled with murder and blood flowed for three thousand miles. This is not holy. The way of kings.”
Zhu Yuanzhang listened quietly. Wait for the prince to finish speaking. Said: "You've finished."
The prince moved solemnly, lowered his head and said, "My child, it's finished."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "The world is peaceful? Do you know what kind of life the people are living now. They don't have three meals a day, and they have no clothes. Many people eat two meals a day, and they can only eat three meals during the busy farming season. One family only has a few complete sets of clothes." Whoever goes out wears pants. Women stay at home and cannot go out to meet people. There is no bedding or anything like that. Only straw."
"As for winter, even as far away as Lingnan, people freeze to death. This is what you call peaceful days."
"What do people want to live in peace?"
The prince was stunned and had to say that the prince was still far inferior to Zhu Yuanzhang in terms of understanding the sufferings of the people. After all, when the prince was born, no matter how frugal Zhu Yuanzhang was, the prince's treatment was never generous. But Zhu Yuanzhang really climbed up from the bottom step by step. He knows best what life is like below.
Of course, the prince had the experience of conducting private visits incognito. Zhu Yuanzhang even specifically requested the prince to take several younger brothers into the homes of ordinary people when he went on a tour of Zhongdu. It's even become a tradition. When Zhu Di was on his northern tour, he even took the emperor's grandson Zhu Zhanji into people's homes to visit.
This family tradition was passed down from Zhu Yuanzhang. But what a pity. Since becoming orthodox, the Ming royal family has had a different style.
The prince didn't know how to answer.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "You said let the people live a good life, tell me. How do you think we can let the people live a 'good' life. I don't ask for anything else. As long as we have three meals a day. We have clothes in all seasons, but not in winter." I'll be freezing. I'll have a decent house. Tell me, what should I do?"
The prince could not speak.
If the prince is not talented, he cannot deeply understand the rules of Ming Dynasty. He could probably blurt it out and could do it.
But the prince understood this. He actually understands. In the future, the living standards of the people of Ming Dynasty will not improve much. Let ordinary people have the life they have now, even though they suffer from hunger, and even freeze to death in winter or die of illness. But people on the whole starve to death. Still not much left.
The prince didn't understand the rationale. But he understood this phenomenon deeply. Jiangnan is prosperous, but the lives of the people at the bottom of Jiangnan are no better than those in other places. The north is desolate. The people who have just immigrated will certainly have to suffer for several years. But in a few years, as long as the land is reclaimed, will it not be worse than the people in Jiangnan?
Therefore, there may be some room for improvement in the living standards of the people at the bottom of the Ming Dynasty. But the space is not big anymore.
If you want to achieve the situation mentioned by Zhu Yuanzhang, food, clothing, and housing can satisfy the lives of the people at the bottom. It's completely impossible.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "I don't care what others say about me. I taught you personally. You should understand my thoughts. I don't care about Confucianism and Taoism, nor about Huaixi or Zhejiang. What I care about is to let the people live a good life." day."
"I had a hard time when I was a child, and I don't want the people to suffer like this again. It doesn't matter who you listen to, what matters is what they do. I admit that since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Han Guogong, Mr. Liu, and Mr. Song , have helped me a lot in many things. But they can only help me so much. The rest is not what they can help. Nor can all the Confucian officials now do it."
"Only He Xi can do this."
The prince said: "Father, although the Zhou Dynasty was an old state, its destiny was restored, and the origins of Confucianism and Taoism also kept pace with the times. The Confucianism of the Spring and Autumn Period was different from the Confucianism of the Warring States, and the Confucianism of the Warring States was different from the Confucianism of the Qin and Han Dynasties. The Confucianism of the Qin and Han Dynasties , is different from the Confucianism of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and the Confucianism of the Sui and Tang Dynasties is different from the Confucianism of the Song Dynasty. Today, the Ming Dynasty is founded and the world is renewed, so naturally there are ministers who can answer the orders. Why should my father be in a hurry?"
"You are right." Zhu Yuanzhang said: "It's just that the so-called Confucian ministers today always speak of Cheng Zhu, and there is no originality. Zhu Xi is a saint, but Zhu Xi did not save the crisis of the Southern Song Dynasty. Not to mention, Zhu Xi was in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is not that there are no rivals, but it is the official science of the Yuan Dynasty. Is today's Confucianism the Confucianism of the Ming Dynasty, the Confucianism of the imperial court, or the Confucianism of the old officials of the former Yuan Dynasty, the orthodoxy of the great families."
The prince was shocked and said, "Why is my father doing this?"
The prince still has a good impression of the Confucian ministers. Naturally, he doesn't want to use such despicable thoughts to speculate on his teacher friend?
Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly: "Is it really not like this?"
The biggest difference between Zhu Yuanzhang and the prince.
Zhu Yuanzhang has experienced the struggle for hegemony among heroes and has seen the darkest places in people's hearts. There is even a dark side deep in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart. Cruel means. Intimidating.
But if it were just like this, it would be impossible for Zhu Yuanzhang to become the leader of the first generation. Under Zhu Yuanzhang's cruel methods, he had a heart of loving the people. As much as he hates corrupt officials, he has more sympathy and love for the people.
Because of this, even if the scholar-bureaucrats slandered Zhu Yuanzhang. The Hongwu era is still the era that the people of Ming Dynasty miss the most.
This is even the difference between Zhu Yuanzhang and many ministers.
What Zhu Yuanzhang cares about, the laws of the court and the common people, are not something that many ministers and ministers can understand and understand. Many people feel that this is how they got here. Not to mention that in troubled times, there are more people who use cruel methods. The exploitation of the people is even more serious.
Now they are only doing a little bit to benefit themselves, which is nothing more than a drop in the bucket of the former Yuan Dynasty. Why didn't Zhu Yuanzhang allow it?
In Zhu Yuanzhang's opinion, the glory and wealth he gave these ministers could not be enough for them in ten lifetimes. They are also greedy.
It’s just that the gap in values is right here. On one side, it is commonplace, and on the other side, it is something that cannot be tolerated. The conceptual gap between the two is simply unbridgeable.
The lofty ideals in my heart are realized with cruel and realistic means.
Zhu Yuanzhang never doubts anyone. How could it be possible to give more trust to Confucian officials just because they claim to be morally noble?
Zhu Yuanzhang continued: "Prince, there is one thing you have ever thought about: why can't people's living standards improve?"
The prince didn't know how to answer.
In an instant, he had many answers. For example, the living standards of common people have been like this since ancient times. But the prince knew this answer. This was not what Zhu Yuanzhang wanted. And he himself had doubts. Why?
There is a deeper reason for this.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "You should think about this matter carefully. If you have time, go to remote villages and take a look. Don't look at the villages around Nanjing. After all, there has been no tax payment around Nanjing for twenty years. Of course, you can also Look. Even under my nose, the life of the people is not very good. The reason why I look good is that they make a living more from the big city of Nanjing rather than from the land outside Nanjing. "
"My child obeys your orders," the prince said solemnly. The prince was silent for a while and said, "Father, can father and son talk about anything?"
The prince changed his title. Zhu Yuanzhang also felt it, and he said: "Biao'er, if you have anything to say, just say it."
The prince said: "Father, do you want to destroy me?"
