Zhang Juzheng was once a lecturer in Prince Yu's Mansion and one of Zhu Zaijing's teachers. However, the relationship between the two was not as close as that of Gao Gong. Therefore, after becoming the emperor, the distance between Zhang Juzheng and Zhu Zaijing A little further away.
Hai Rui, Zhang Juzheng, and Gao Gong were the iron triangle that Zhu Zaijing envisioned for implementing the New Deal.
For an idealist like Hai Rui, you need to share your heart and soul with him, talk about your feelings for your family and country, and talk about the sufferings of the people. This will make it easier for him to sympathize and agree with your policies.
But Zhang Juzheng is a realist. Although historically he, like Hai Rui, almost offended the entire Ming Dynasty officialdom, whether he dares to move forward like Hai Rui and firmly support himself is still uncertain for Zhu Zaijing.
Because in this time and space, the emperor who implements the New Deal is himself, and the intensity and coverage of the New Deal are greater and stronger than in history. This also requires Zhang Juzheng and others to bear a heavier burden than in history.
Especially the Jiangnan literati group. This huge group almost monopolized the entire Ming Dynasty's top court officials, and the New Deal's biggest and sharpest spearhead was aimed at them.
When the time comes, will Zhang Juzheng dare to betray his class?
Zhu Zaijing did not doubt Zhang Juzheng's loyalty, but by that time, the implementation of the New Deal was almost a war!
If even one of these New Deal pioneers, including Zhu Zaijing, takes even half a step back, it will trigger an avalanche of collapse.
"Taiyue, you resigned and returned to Jiangling before. You experienced and witnessed the suffering of the people firsthand. What do you think is the foundation of our country?"
Seeing that Zhang Juzheng was still thinking cautiously, Zhu Zaijing said impatiently, "I want to hear your true thoughts and don't give me those rhetorical words!"
"Where has Zhang Taiyue, who was so high-spirited when he lectured me in the past, gone?"
After being reprimanded by the emperor, Zhang Juzheng was stunned.
Then he sighed softly, as if he had made some kind of determination, and raised his head and looked at the emperor firmly.
Indeed, he was so cautious in the past in order to grasp the power and realize his ambition as soon as possible. Now that he has entered the cabinet, although his status is the lowest, he can be regarded as an important minister of the country. What else can he do?
During his stay in Jiangling, he went to the countryside for field inspections and discovered the reality of land annexation by big landlords and the unemployment of poor people. He also discovered the government's extortionate expropriation of farmers.
In order to sympathize with the suffering of farmers, he went to work in the fields himself and lived in a simple house next to the fields, rain or shine.
Therefore, Zhang Juzheng's knowledge and understanding of the grassroots level was probably comparable to that of Hai Rui, who had been the county magistrate for many years in the entire court.
"Your Majesty, I believe that the foundation of all dynasties is not the royal family, nor the officials and gentry, but the peasants!"
"I dare to speak frankly. From the First Emperor to the present, dynasties have changed one after another, and emperors have changed one after another. Where are they now? Those nobles and gentry, one family died today, and another will rise tomorrow!"
"There are always only the common people! There are always only the common people who silently support and nourish the whole world, and farmers are the most numerous among them. Therefore, the foundation of the world lies in the farmers!"
Zhu Zaijing smiled with satisfaction.
This is what the first most powerful prime minister of the Ming Dynasty in history should look like!
"I deeply believe so! I think back then Taizu was just a farmer. If he hadn't really been unable to survive, who would have taken the risk and rebelled?"
"You're right! Nobles and gentry, civil and military officials, will only assess the situation when the world is in chaos, and only think about protecting their own wealth. Farmers are different. Farmers will fight tooth and nail for their own one-third of an acre of land! This is also the most important thing. Loyal to the court!"
Zhang Juzheng nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty! Therefore, when dynasties change, the biggest force is the peasant army! They overthrew all the dynasties in history!"
"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of any businessman, noble gentry, or official who could change the dynasty? Even Wang Mang did it because the people all over the world were dissatisfied with the Liu family and placed their hope in the contemporary saint Wang Mang to bring a better life. ?"
"I know what happened next. Even Wang Mang, who was considered a perfect moral man at the time, later made the people of the world miserable, directly or indirectly killing tens of millions of people! The people's lives became even more difficult, and they still overthrew the new dynasty! "
After talking about this, Zhu Zaijing felt a little more at ease. Fortunately, Zhang Juzheng's goals were consistent with his own.
With such a capable minister who has been through the ages, why should you worry about not being able to accomplish anything?
"Therefore, I think..."
"I know what you are thinking!" The emperor took the lead, "I want to implement the New Deal! I want to remove these mountains from the farmers' heads!"
Zhang Juzheng was stunned for a while before he realized that this was the reason for the emperor's question just now.
"My new policy will reduce the burden on farmers, consolidate national defense, and eradicate Japanese pirates. There are too many things that need to be changed inside and outside the Ming Dynasty. I will slowly solve them one by one!"
Zhu Zaijing stopped dilly-dallying and directly stated his intention, because at this moment the purpose of the monarch and his minister was the same, so there was no need to hide it.
Only then did Zhang Juzheng realize that the emperor also had a heart for change!
Suddenly, he felt a little warm in his heart.
Previously, he witnessed the life-and-death party struggle in the Jiajing Dynasty, the indifferent emperor, and the people living in hardship. Zhang Juzheng once doubted his ideals.
This was also the reason why the young man resigned and returned home, far away from this place that disappointed him.
But later, after witnessing the dire straits of the people, the corruption of the government, and the deep suffering of the people, he really could not turn a blind eye.
His inner knowledge and conscience tortured him deeply.
Eventually, he returned to this dirty court.
However, what came back was not Zhang Taiyue, who was heroic, full of righteous indignation, and had no tolerance for corruption and crime, but Zhang Juzheng, who was deeply influenced by his teacher, began to know how to be forbearing, how to protect himself, and began to wait for opportunities.
Since the world is in a mess, people don't want to change it. They only care about fighting for power and excluding dissenters.
Then I will have the greatest power and force myself to change the world according to my own ideals.
This is the path Zhang Juzheng took when he returned to the court, and in orthodox history, he also did the same.
For this reason, he did not hesitate to collude with the eunuch Feng Bao to get rid of his former colleague Gao Gong, did not hesitate to gain the support of Wanli's mother through external rumors, and did not hesitate to put huge pressure on the young Wanli and instill his own thoughts in him.
I wonder what Zhang Juzheng in this time and space would think when he sees his ending in history?
Thinking of this, Zhu Zaijing remembered a science fiction work he had read in later generations.
There is a character in it whose catchphrase is "Forward! Forward! Forward by any means necessary!"
Zhang Juzheng, who later implemented reforms, is somewhat similar to this character. Both of them rushed forward desperately for their own inner ideals!
