Chapter 69: The Father and the Son

The crown prince rarely objected fiercely, and said: "Father, the world was in chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and the people were miserable, this is what you see, father." Now my father has arrived in the world and swept away the heroes. It's not to let the people live a peaceful life. It should be in the way of the kings. Keeping the right and the people safe. Just because of He Xi's words, he did not hesitate to work hard to mobilize the public. Wouldn't it be counterproductive to do such a big thing? Father, have you forgotten what you said at the beginning? ”

"As you have said, if my father and son have a thought and do a thing, the people will suffer a hundredfold and suffer in every way. Yes, He Xi is talented. But He Xi's talent is no longer high. It's just the talent of one person. The study of Confucianism and Taoism is the wisdom of sages for thousands of years, although it is not perfect. But servants are all over the government and the opposition. And He Xi is just a person. And many times it is easy to find mistakes, which is putting He Xi's doctrine in the position of Confucianism. Is it really flawless and can solve any problem? ”

"The benefits are not hundred, and the law is not changed. Erchen is not unwilling to sort out the laws of this dynasty, before, the cabinet system, the secretary supervision system, and even the official newspaper, Taiping Iron Works, etc., Erchen never said a 'no'. ”

"But although Liaodong is small, it is also the land of the Ming Dynasty, and although the Liao people are few, they are also the people of the Ming Dynasty. Although the people of Goryeo are in an enemy country, they are also human beings. For the sake of He Xi's own delusions. Murderous city. Three thousand miles of blood. This is not the way of the Holy King. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang listened quietly. Wait until the prince finishes speaking. said, "You're done." ”

The prince was awe-struck, bowed his head and said, "The child is finished." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "The world is peaceful? You know what life the people are living today. I didn't have three meals, and I had no clothes. Many people eat two meals a day, and only eat three meals when the farm is busy. The family only had a few complete sets of clothes. Whoever goes out, who wears pants. The woman was confined to her home and could not go out to see people. Futon or something. Not even more. There are only straws. ”

"As for winter, even if it is far away in Lingnan, there are people who freeze to death. This is what you call a peaceful day. ”

"The peaceful life that the people want to live?"

The prince was stunned, and had to say that in terms of understanding the suffering of the people, the prince was still far inferior to Zhu Yuanzhang. After all, when the prince was born, even if Zhu Yuanzhang was thrifty, the prince's treatment was never less. But Zhu Yuanzhang really climbed up step by step from the bottom, and he knows best what the days are below.

Although the prince had the experience of private visits to Weifu, Zhu Yuanzhang even specifically asked the prince to take a few younger brothers to enter the homes of ordinary people when he went out on patrol in the capital. It even became a tradition. When Zhu Di toured the north, he took the emperor's grandson Zhu Zhanji to visit the people's homes.

This style was passed down from Zhu Yuanzhang. But it's a pity. Since orthodoxy, the Ming Dynasty has been a different style.

The prince didn't know how to answer.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "You said that you want the people to live a good life, you can say it." What do you think can be done to make the people live a 'good' life? I don't ask for anything else. As long as you have three full meals. There are clothes in all seasons, and you will not be frozen in winter. Have a decent house. You say, what to do? ”

The prince couldn't speak.

If the prince is not talented, he can't deeply understand the rules of the Ming Dynasty. He might be able to blurt it out, he could do it.

But the prince understands this. He actually understood. In the future, the living standards of the people of Daming will not improve much. Let ordinary people have the current life, although they are starving, and even some die of freezing and disease in winter. But people starving to death as a whole. Still not much.

The prince didn't understand the principle. But he understood this phenomenon deeply. Jiangnan is prosperous, but the people at the bottom of Jiangnan are not better off than the people in other places. The north is desolate. People who have just immigrated to the past will certainly have to suffer for a few years. But a few years later, as long as the land is reclaimed, it will not be worse than the people in Jiangnan?

Therefore, the living standards of the people at the bottom of the Ming Dynasty may have some room for improvement. But there's not much space left.

If you want to achieve the situation that Zhu Yuanzhang said, food, clothing, and housing can meet the lives of the people at the bottom. It can't be done at all.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "I don't care what others say about me. You taught it myself. You should understand my thoughts, I don't care about Confucianism and Taoism, and I don't care about Huaixi and Zhexi. All I care about is to make the people live a good life. ”

"I had a hard time when I was a child, and I didn't want the people to suffer this anymore. It doesn't matter who you listen to what, it's important to see 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 if they can help, that's the end of it. The rest is not something they can help. It's not something that all Confucian ministers can do now. ”

"The only way to do this is He Xi."

The crown prince said: "Father, although Zhou is an old state, its life is renewed, and the origin of Confucianism and Taoism is also advancing with the times. The Confucianism of the Spring and Autumn Period is different from the Confucianism of the Warring States, the Confucianism of the Warring States is 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, I have opened the foundation of the country, the world is renewed, and there are naturally ministers who respond to orders. Why should my father be in a hurry? ”

"You're right." Zhu Yuanzhang said: "It's just that the so-called Confucian ministers now, Cheng Zhu, where is a little bit of creativity." Zhu Xi was a saint, but Zhu Xi did not save the crisis of the Southern Song Dynasty. Not to mention, Zhu Xi was not without opponents in the Southern Song Dynasty, but he was the official study of the tyrannical Yuan, and today's Confucianism is the Confucianism of the Ming Dynasty, the Confucianism of the imperial court, or the Confucianism of the former Yuan and the old ministers, and the way of the family. ”

The crown prince was shocked in his heart and said, "Why is my father like this? ”

The prince still has a good impression of Confucianism. Naturally, you don't want to use such a despicable mind to figure out your teacher and friend?

Zhu Yuanzhang said indifferently: "Is it really not like this?" ”

The biggest difference between Zhu Yuanzhang and the crown prince.

Zhu Yuanzhang has experienced the hegemony of the heroes, has seen the darkest places in people's hearts, and even Zhu Yuanzhang has no shortage of dark sides in his heart. The cruelty of the means. It's daunting.

But if it were just like this, Zhu Yuanzhang would not be able to become the master of a generation, and under Zhu Yuanzhang's cruel methods, he had a heart of love for the people. The more he hated corrupt officials and corrupt officials, the more sympathy and love he had for the people.

Because of this, no matter how the scholar doctor slandered Zhu Yuanzhang. The Hongwu era is still the era that the people of the Ming Dynasty miss the most.

is even where Zhu Yuanzhang and many ministers disagree.

What Zhu Yuanzhang cares about, the law of the court, and the people of Li are not what many ministers and ministers can understand and understand. A lot of people think that's how they came back then. Not to mention that in the troubled times, there are more cruel people. The exploitation of the common people is heavier.

Now they are just doing a little bit of benefit to themselves, and they are only a drop in the bucket in the former yuan. Why didn't Zhu Yuanzhang allow it.

And Zhu Yuanzhang seems that the glory and wealth he gave these ministers are not enough for them in ten lifetimes. They are not greedy enough.

It's just that the gap in values is here, on one side it is commonplace, and on the other side, it is something that must not be tolerated. The conceptual gap between the two is simply insurmountable.

The lofty ideals in my heart are realized by cruel and realistic means.

Zhu Yuanzhang has never been suspicious of anyone. How is it possible to give more trust to Confucian ministers because of their so-called high morals.

Zhu Yuanzhang continued: "Prince, have you ever thought about one thing, why can't the people's living standards improve? ”、

The prince didn't know how to answer.

In an instant, he had a lot of answers. For example, the standard of living of the common people has been like this since ancient times. But the prince knew, such an answer. It's not what Zhu Yuanzhang wants. And he himself had doubts in his heart. Why?

There are deeper reasons for this.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Think about this thing. If you have time to go to the remote villages, don't look at the villages around Nanjing. After all, it has been twenty years since Nanjing did not pay taxes around. Of course, you can also take a look. Even under my nose, the people's lives are not very good. The reason why they look good is that they make a living more from the big city of Nanjing, rather than from the land outside Nanjing. ”

"The child obeys." The prince said heavily. The prince was silent for a while, and then said, "Father, can father and son talk about anything?" ”

The crown 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, are you going to abolish me?" ”