"Human beings are greedy by nature, and as long as they have power, they want to grab more wealth, and land is the most valuable wealth. Because the possession of land not only leads to the growth of wealth, but also means the control of the corresponding population. The more land you have, the more power you have. Therefore, the thirst for land of the elite class was endless, and the problem of land annexation naturally intensified, and finally the poor had no place to stand, but could only rise up, as was the case with riots in the middle and late dynasties. Zhu Zhen said.

"Yes, it's all poor people's uprising." The prince bowed his head.

"Therefore, the reforms in the middle and late dynasties all revolved around cracking down on the powerful and inhibiting mergers, but they all failed without exception." Zhu Zhen said in a deep voice: "Wang Mang wanted to restore the Wang Tian system of the Zhou Dynasty, but he was ruined and left a stench for 10,000 years; Wang Anshi wanted to suppress the annexation, but as soon as Shenzong died, he immediately failed. Why it is impossible to succeed in curbing mergers is because it depends on the political power, and the bureaucratic elite is the political power. How could the powerful use a knife on themselves? They will only stab the reformers in the back! ”

"It's kind of frustrating when you say that." The prince smiled bitterly and said, "But it seems that this is indeed the case." Alas, everyone is on the ship of the imperial court, and if the ship sinks, they will all drown. Why do you say that those powerful bureaucrats don't understand such a simple truth? In the end, you have to be a moth desperately? ”

"This brings us to another taboo topic." Zhu Zhen said quietly.

"Let's have no taboos tonight, let's talk thoroughly!" The prince and Zhu Zhen entered the study, and after the eunuch served tea, he instructed no one to disturb him. "But it doesn't hurt for you to say it."

"Actually, it's nothing, it's just a question of whose family is in the world." Zhu Zhen said: "Why does the emperor naturally oppose the annexation? Because the world belongs to the emperor, the ship was sunk, and the worst thing was the emperor. Why do the magnates refuse to give up the annexation, because the world is not theirs, this ship sinks, and it is a big deal to change the ship. ”

"According to you, it's an unsolvable problem." The prince said with a solemn face.

"Yes, no one can solve it." Zhu Zhen said firmly: "Even my father can't change it!"

"Then you have to do what you have to do," the prince smiled bitterly, "It's like everyone dies eventually, but you can't lie down and wait for death at a young age." Who doesn't want to live a little better and live longer? ”

"Big brother deserves to be big brother." Zhu Zhen hurriedly praised: "The younger brother is keen to expand the territory, just to let Daming live a little better and live longer." ”

"Let Daming get more land?" The prince asked.

"Yes." Zhu Zhen nodded and said: "The expansion of the territory of the younger brother is selective, and what we want is a rich land with a warm climate, fertile land, and vast and sparsely populated land. My plan is to expand the province every ten years, and then digest and absorb it for another ten years. In this way, the Ming Dynasty will be able to have one more province every 20 years, which will just accommodate the people who have lost their land due to annexation in the interior within 20 years. ”

"Twenty years and more than a generation. It would be nice to have one more province at the same time. The crown prince muttered: "Continue to migrate the extra population from the interior to the newly opened territory for reclamation, so that the new territory can become Han land." And the old provinces can also keep the population at a moderate level. It will not lead to various problems because of overpopulation. ”

"Moreover, if the people can continue to get land, the land will not be too valuable, and it can objectively inhibit annexation." Zhu Zhen continued:

"In addition, there is a problem related to the survival of the Ming Dynasty, which needs to be solved by constantly expanding the territory."

"Are you talking about the military?" Zhu Biao asked.

"That's right," Zhu Zhen nodded and said, "First, after pacifying Yunnan, the world has been unified, and there is only one Northern Yuan left to fight." We must consider the elimination of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and the issue of peace in the world. ”

"The bird is exhausted and the bow is hidden, and the rabbit is dead and the dog is cook......ed," Zhu Biao said softly.

"But big brother, what if you destroy all the bows, cook all the dogs, and then there are man-eating beasts?" Zhu Zhen asked: "You don't think that the invincible army is like a crop in the field, you can plant another stubble after cutting one stubble, right?" ”

"Of course not." Zhu Biao shook his head and said: "Excellent generals and invincible armies are sharpened from the flames of war. An army that has never fought is just useless. ”

"Big brother is right, so if Da Ming wants to maintain an invincible division, he must let the officers and soldiers continue to experience wars, and after the domestic war is over, continue to be useful!" Zhu Zhen said in a deep voice:

"My father established a professional military household system, and he sealed so many hereditary officers, I have to give them a chance to fight all the time, so that they have the opportunity to build up their military exploits, otherwise they will become a pure burden?"

"More than 20 years of a province, so that there is a generation's merits, a generation's land, this is what a prosperous era should look like, right?" The crown prince was also fascinated by the prospect depicted by the sixth child, and muttered, "It's just too idealistic." What if the war doesn't go well and drags the country down? And is there so much land just right for us to conquer? ”

"There really is!" Zhu Zhen walked to the globe he had given to the prince, raised his voice, and said: "Over the years, the Haizheng Yamen has basically discovered the situation in the entire South and Western Oceans!" ”

As he spoke, he drew a big circle on the map with his fingers, connecting the entire Indochina Peninsula, the South Sea countries, the Indian subcontinent and even the Australian continent in the circle: "Such a large area, either still in the primitive era of slash-and-burn farming, or the established princely states and countries, are all local chickens and dogs, vulnerable to a single attack, in short, there is no one who can fight!" ”

"There must be four or five of them, right?" The prince was dumbfounded.

"Almost." Zhu Zhen nodded, he hadn't pointed out South America, North America and Africa to the prince, because the distance was too far away, it didn't seem realistic.

"These territories around the Ming Dynasty are all God-given lands, which are enough to support our two hundred years of prosperity!" Zhu Zhen said with a fanatical face: "If God gives you Buddha, you will be punished by God!" These precious lands will become the territory of extraterritorial powers! It has even become a pedal and logistics base for their invasion of China, and we will regret it when the time comes! ”

"There is no regret medicine in this world, we must seize the God-given opportunity, big brother!" Zhu Zhen excitedly grabbed the prince's hand, trying to make him understand his determination.

"Hmm." The prince nodded and said, "You govern Yunnan first, if it really becomes Han land in ten years, the eldest brother will support you in opening up the next territory." ”

"Big brother, don't worry, I will definitely succeed!" Zhu Zhen cut the railway.

(End of chapter)