Zhu Mo had few friends since arriving in the Great Ming, and as a young Daoist priest, he had spent most of his time on the mountain. Even after descending in recent years, he had mostly traveled alone.
Though he had settled somewhat in the capital, there was no one with whom he could truly converse. Wang Yong of the Hanlin Academy could offer a few jokes, but otherwise, he spent his time in solitude.
These past few days,
After the system fused with environmental information, the knowledge it had acquired far surpassed what he previously knew, and he slowly began to understand many issues that had previously eluded him. Having spoken his mind a moment ago, he now felt a surge of inspiration and smiled faintly.
"I mentioned earlier that the vermilion script is offered to an envisioned emperor, hoping he can permanently solve these problems and completely alleviate the suffering of the people. Would you two care to hear why?"
Jiajing had been troubled for a while and now smiled, "Oh? Why is that..."
Zhu Mo took a sip of tea and said leisurely,
"Reverend, this uncle, it's not easy to explain clearly at once. We need to settle some accounts first...
Um, have you two noticed a problem? This land of the Central Plains has historically seen more chaos than order, cycling endlessly? And each period of peace never lasts long. Our current dynasty has been the longest; people speak of eighty years of peace, while the reigns of Wen and Jing of the Han lasted only forty to fifty years, the Zhenguan and Yonghui eras of the Tang lasted fifty to sixty years, and others even less, twenty to thirty years at most, and sometimes only a decade or so. It can be said that there has been more chaos than order, a cyclical repetition, and the people have suffered immensely...
Those who are not common folk cannot truly understand the suffering within. Living a good life, only to suddenly have someone bully you using the power of the government, and you are helpless, left to be slaughtered. Three generations prior, you were a well-off household, but by your time, you have become a tenant. Who will care for you? Where can you go to cry injustice? Honestly, I have seen so much of this while wandering among the common people...
Everyone praises the reigns of Wen and Jing, and Zhenguan and Hongwu, but they do not know that decades after Zhenguan, the equal-field system was destroyed by an imperial decree in the fifteenth year of Tianbao. Who spoke up for the common people then? Let alone desperately resist? Taking our current dynasty as an example, an imperial decree in the fifth year of Hongwu explicitly abolished the status of tenant farmers and serfs, but what about now? Is the landlord stronger? Or weaker? A visit to the common folk will make everything clear!
Therefore, I believe that Wen and Jing, as well as Zhenguan, are merely nominal. Without facing the real problems, without fundamentally solving the issue of the cycle of order and chaos, such periods of peace are of little use, and the outcome is still the same: another period of chaos...
I have thought about it for a long time. An ideal emperor should hold the mandate of Heaven and a benevolent heart, addressing the root cause to permanently relieve the suffering of the people. Only then would he be worthy of Heaven..."
Huh?
Wen and Jing, Zhenguan are merely superficial?
This sounds strange at first, and even more astonishing upon reflection!
Lu Fang couldn't help but say sarcastically, "This is certainly a novel perspective. All the wise rulers of the past are gone, and even the Grand Ancestor himself is not a wise ruler? Today is truly strange..."
Saying this,
He glanced at Jiajing, thinking: Have I spoken too much today?
Meanwhile, Jiajing remained as still as a clay Buddha.
Lu Fang, who had always been close to him like brothers and shared his thoughts, suddenly felt a sense of distance. He truly couldn't understand what the Emperor was thinking.
Zhu Mo pondered for a moment longer and said, "As for the Grand Ancestor, he is one of the closest to my ideal. It is a pity, however, that he only completed half the task. It is precisely because of this that the world has now reached a critical juncture where it is transitioning from order to peril, and from peril to chaos..."
Oh?
This statement, at least, shows some sense of propriety.
Lu Fang, worried that Jiajing might be displeased, quickly asked, "The Grand Ancestor far surpassed the Han and Tang dynasties, so he is naturally the highest. But why does Young Master Zhu say that the Grand Ancestor only completed half the task? What is it that is so difficult?"
Zhu Mo answered without directly addressing the question, smiling, "Heh heh, before I reveal it, let me ask you two a question: Do you remember the very first of the Grand Ancestor's遗训 (family precepts/ancestral instructions)?"
The first of the Grand Ancestor's遗训?
The abolition of the prime minister?
That was merely a pragmatic measure by the Grand Ancestor during turbulent times, what does it have to do with an ideal emperor?
Lu Fang was dismissive and scoffed, "So what? If the Grand Ancestor did not establish a prime minister, would that disqualify him from being an ideal emperor?"
Zhu Mo smiled calmly, "Not at all. The Grand Ancestor's refusal to establish a prime minister is precisely where he surpassed others, and it was a step he took correctly. But have you ever considered why the Grand Ancestor executed so many prime ministers? And why he left a decree that anyone who dared to propose the establishment of a prime minister in the future could be shot in court? What did he think of that was so serious?"
At this moment,
A flicker of pain suddenly flashed in Jiajing's eyes. He casually picked up a chess piece and played with it, his face calm, but his heart churned with mixed emotions.
He had read the Grand Ancestor's Veritable Records countless times, and in his youth, he had worn them out. At times, he even felt that the absence of a prime minister was precisely a major flaw, leaving later emperors surrounded and opposed by officials. Every time he wished to do something, officials would accuse him of being unjust or lacking virtue, and in severe cases, they would incite all the academies and scholars in the realm to condemn him, as if he were bound hand and foot, unable to move.
He himself had suffered greatly from this.
How Yang Tinghe had forced his abdication, how he had commanded the scholars of the realm to condemn him, all remained vivid in his memory. If not for that, he would not have beaten over two hundred people to death in the imperial court.
If the Grand Ancestor had not abolished the prime minister from the start, he could have let the prime minister take the blame, and also let the prime minister deal with the officials. The emperor would not have been directly exposed to the siege of officials and scholars of the realm.
He was first pressured by Yang Tinghe, then Xia Yan acted perfunctorily, and later he simply appointed Yan Song, making Yan Song the cudgel in his hand. Whenever he wanted to strike someone, he would use Yan Song to do it, making Yan Song a shield between the officials and the emperor. Whenever the officials were dissatisfied with the emperor, Yan Song, this scoundrel, would unleash his fury, making them tremble and cry out in agony... And Yan Song, in turn, was held tightly in his grasp; if he ever harbored ill intentions, he could be quickly replaced without any major issues.
As for why the officials were so at odds with the emperors of the Great Ming, it was likely caused by the Grand Ancestor's abolition of the prime minister. Without a prime minister to lead and discipline them, officials naturally confronted the emperor directly, and Zhang Ku, with a single sentence, would say, "The Son of Heaven cannot lose virtue"...
This young man saying that the Grand Ancestor's abolition of the prime minister was actually brilliant, is just empty talk, easy for someone standing on solid ground to say. If he were to face off against the officials for a few rounds, he would know that a small pot is not made of iron.
As for why the Grand Ancestor abolished the prime minister, perhaps no one will ever truly know. Based on my readings of the Grand Ancestor's Veritable Records, Ancestral Instructions, and the Great Proclamations, it was likely due to his personality—the Grand Ancestor was a suspicious and decisive ruler, naturally unable to tolerate others interfering with his affairs.
Thinking this,
He looked at Zhu Mo's spirited and youthful countenance and couldn't help but recall his own youthful ambition—
Who hasn't been young?
Who hasn't had days of high spirits and ambition?
After a few years of hardship, they would all understand.
At this moment, if told, he would certainly not accept it.
Thus,
Jiajing offered a perfunctory smile and said, "Oh? Why does Young Master Zhu think so? Is it to be a virtuous ruler who is pure and untainted?"
Zhu Mo naturally saw his inner displeasure and smiled calmly, speaking eloquently,
"Because the Grand Ancestor was a man of common origins through and through, he recognized a problem that all emperors had never seriously faced—what problem? How did the realm collapse?
Since the reigns of Wen and Jing, there have been many emperors who understood the transition 'from chaos to order,' but only a handful could clearly see the transition from order to chaos. Our current dynasty's Grand Ancestor can be said to be the only one in history. He was very clear about how the realm transitioned from order to chaos. In the Grand Ancestor's Veritable Records, there are lengthy accounts of how the Great Yuan lost the empire, and every word reads like blood and tears. In the final analysis, it all boils down to eight characters: officials forming factions, public affairs used for private gain!
The founding of each dynasty is like a craftsman creating a beautiful artifact. Initially, everyone praises it, and it is pleasant to use. But before long, the artifact is dismantled and sold. This year, Zhang San dismantles a part, next year, Li Si dismantles another. In five or ten years, it becomes unbearable to look at... Why? Because the temptation to do so is too great! One doesn't have to work or sweat, and readily available wealth and status are laid out. Why not take it? And the best way to obtain this enticing wealth and status is for everyone to take it together! No one can remain clean or pretend to be innocent! Otherwise, it is going against everyone... This is forming factions.
And to prevent officials from forming factions and using public affairs for private gain, and even more so to prevent the cycle of chaos and order, the Grand Ancestor then made this boldest attempt in history. This move, truly a grand gesture approaching that of an ideal emperor, expressed the Grand Ancestor's sincerity in smashing the shackles for all the people in the realm, truly a peerless emperor of all ages."
Huh?
What is this?
What is he saying?
The flavor is so strange...
At first glance, this statement seems unremarkable, and it does echo things frequently mentioned in the Grand Ancestor's Veritable Records. However, upon a moment's reflection, Lu Fang immediately felt that something was amiss—
Since ancient times, the Son of Heaven has governed together with the scholar-officials. How is it that in his words, the meaning has changed? It seems as if the scholar-officials are mere Zhang San, Li Si, or Wang Er Mazi? Moreover, according to his words, it seems the prime minister led the dismantling and selling of public assets? The Grand Ancestor's abolition of the prime minister had his own wise decisions; how can ordinary people understand them? One cannot say the Grand Ancestor did it to guard against thieves, can one? Does this mean all scholar-officials are thieves?
Jiajing, however, smiled faintly—
This child is too uninhibited in his speech...
What Zhang San, Li Si, Wang Er Mazi?
If Yan Song heard this, wouldn't he find trouble with him?
Just as he was about to say a few words, Lu Fang had already spoken—
"Young Master Zhu, this is not right. Scholar-officials and scholars are disciples of the sages and disciples of the Son of Heaven. The ways of the former kings are self-cultivation, family regulation, governance, and peace. How