amaotonovel Chapter 1104 New Principles
Chapter 1104 New Principles
Chapter 1104 New Principles
"Does your Royal Grandfather think that Xi'an is not suitable to be the capital?" Before Zhu Su could answer, Zhu Xiongying expressed his doubts first.
At this time, the atmosphere in the room was already as casual as chatting about family matters, so Zhu Xiongying asked as if asking for advice.
Old Zhu was always very patient with his good grandson. Seeing this, he motioned Zhu Xiongying, who was standing beside him, to sit next to him, and then said, "Grandson, do you think Xi'an is suitable for being the capital?"
"Yes." Zhu Xiongying nodded and said, "Xi'an City was the old capital of Chang'an during the Han and Tang Dynasties. It is located in the solid area of Guohan, and it embraces the land of Yongzhou. It is blocked by mountains and rivers, and it is solid on all sides. It is the place where the emperor lives."
"Moreover, the industry in the city is now well developed, which is very different from other cities. My grandson feels that this city is what a great city in my future should look like."
"The people live in peace and contentment, and the Silk Road in the west is also enough to connect the four directions."
"If the Ming Dynasty moves its capital here, people all over the world will know that the Ming Dynasty is committed to reviving the Han and Tang dynasties."
The young man said with longing.
As the next emperor who was almost predetermined, Zhu Xiongying had a strong will to forge ahead. Among all the dynasties, he liked the martial arts of the Han and Tang dynasties the most. Old Zhu saw his mentality and laughed: "My great grandson, is it possible that the martial arts of the Ming Dynasty today are not as good as those of the Han and Tang dynasties?"
"Then... of course they are comparable." Zhu Xiongying was stunned for a moment, then spoke. Old Zhu laughed again: "Then why do we, the people of the Ming Dynasty, need to admire the Han and Tang dynasties?"
"The ancients during the Han and Tang dynasties must be envious of us!"
His tone was still as heroic as before. He said to Zhu Xiongying: "You see that the terrain of Xi'an is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but you forget that the capital of a country lies in virtue rather than in danger."
"As long as the Ming Dynasty remains strong and the people are loyal to it, even if we move our capital to the northern grasslands, our country will be as stable as Mount Tai!"
"And if there are unworthy descendants in the future who ruin this country, even if we place our capital in the most strategic place in the world and build the strongest walls in the world...then the country will still be destroyed."
Zhu Xiongying showed a thoughtful look, while Zhu Su's expression changed and he looked at Old Zhu with horror.
Old Zhu actually... said such words?
Zhu was indeed a good emperor who loved his people. However, he was most obsessed with how the Ming Dynasty of the Zhu family could last forever.
It can be said that all the changes he is making now are to enable the Zhu family to control this vast land forever.
And now he actually said something like “The country is destined to perish, and it will perish”?
Old Zhu didn't seem to notice Zhu Su's shocked expression, but continued to speak:
"Tang Taizong said that water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it... He knew this truth, so he had the Zhenguan Reign. Tang Xuanzong forgot, so even though Chang'an was the most magnificent city in the world at that time, it was still destroyed during the An-Shi Rebellion."
"Grandson, you must remember this. Don't think that you can indulge in pleasure just because you are in a safe place... You must always remember to find a way for the people to survive."
"As long as the people are loyal to the Ming Dynasty, the capital of the Ming Dynasty will be as stable as Mount Tai. If the people have no way to survive... even if the Zhu family hides in the coffin lid, they will be dug out and uncovered!"
"Yes, Grandfather, I will remember it." Zhu Xiongying said respectfully.
"Yeah." Lao Zhu nodded.
He took a sip from the teacup beside him, and then continued, "As for industry... We know that you feel that this city is less constrained by the big families in Yingtian, and less decadent and extravagant in the south. You feel that this place is thriving and more to your liking..."
"My grandson does think so." Zhu Xiongying said. "This city is pragmatic, and my grandson likes it very much."
"My grandson believes that only a city like this can help future emperors avoid being obsessed with extravagance and decadence."
"The decadent style of Jiangnan is the worst for the human heart...Since ancient times, no imperial court that has been based in the south has ever been successful. You, my royal grandfather, are the only one who has fought from the south to the north and finally succeeded in conquering the world."
"Hahaha." Old Zhu usually doesn't like to be flattered. But when his eldest grandson Zhu Xiongying flatters him, he always feels particularly happy. He said, "That's true, but Xi'an is still not suitable."
"Xi'an has many factories... Although the industry is prosperous, it is also a place where merchants gather."
"In a country, the livelihoods of the people are all controlled by merchants. Why is that? Grandson, you may see this new industry, but you must not forget that agriculture is the foundation of the world."
"If we can't even fill our stomachs, what's the point of producing these things? Scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, it doesn't matter if the first word "Scholars" is taken. But the word "Agriculture" must be the most important in our Ming Dynasty."
"When the day comes when our Great Ming is full of grain and every household has an inexhaustible supply of surplus food... then we can truly devote all our efforts to developing this industry..."
……
Old Zhu and Zhu Xiongying, the grandfather and grandson, talked about this matter for a long time. Zhu Xiongying gained a lot. When he saw that his grandfather was a little tired, he thought of saying goodbye.
Zhu Su originally wanted to leave as well, but was kept by Old Zhu, who asked him to help him go to the bedroom to rest.
Zhu Su had no objection and accompanied Zhu to the imperial palace. Zhu dismissed his attendants, leaving only the father and son in the palace.
"Do you have something to tell me?" Zhu Su, who was standing aside, asked when he saw Old Zhu waving away his attendants.
"It's you, do you have something to tell us?" Old Zhu raised his eyes and glanced at Zhu Su. Although his hair and beard were now white and his face was full of wrinkles, this glance was still as real as substance, stinging Zhu Su's face.
"You have been trying to sell me your strategy of pioneering and expanding overseas. In recent years, you have persuaded me and your elder brother to open up the people's minds... Do you really want the Zhu family to rule for thousands of years and last forever?"
Zhu Su's mind skipped a beat and he thought to himself that something was wrong.
Just now, when Lao Zhu said "the country will be destroyed if it is time to do so", he vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
Sure enough, Lao Zhu actually... discovered a clue.
"You have not thought about how to make our Zhu family last forever, when you talked about reforms and measures, have you?" Old Zhu said calmly. But his look made Zhu Su feel a chill on his neck.
"If you enfeoff foreign nations, they will inevitably become stronger. If you enlighten the people, more people will no longer respect the imperial power. If you promote new learning and deny the principles of heaven, then the title of the Son of Heaven will gradually become untenable."
"Tell me, what are you thinking?"
Lao Zhu's words seemed to be teasing.
Zhu Su's forehead was already slightly sweaty, and he was hesitating whether he should kneel down, but after thinking it over, he finally stood beside Old Zhu.
He tried to remain calm, poured a cup of tea for Lao Zhu, then calmed his own heartbeat and breathing, and sorted out his thoughts a little.
Then he said, "You are very clear about all this. Haven't you figured it out long ago?"
"Why do you deliberately use these words to scare me?"
Zhu Su placed the teacup on the table, making a slight sound. Old Zhu stared at Zhu Su with his scorching eyes, and after a long while, the sharpness in his eyes faded.
"You rebellious son... you have been deceiving me and your mother since you were little. You pretended to be clumsy when you were little and deceived me for more than ten years."
"Later, he seemed to have told me everything, but he still lied to me for decades..."
"Do you know that if you were not my son, you would have been torn into pieces by me?"
"...I know." Zhu Su pursed his lips. "So, if it weren't for your son's identity, I would never tell anyone and take all those secrets to my grave."
"That won't do...everything is as usual, and we are unwilling to accept it." Old Zhu shook his head, and his tone finally softened. He patted the chair next to him, and Zhu Su knew that Old Zhu's blame would stop here for the time being, and he felt relieved.
Then he sat down gently next to Lao Zhu.
"Your things have many problems, both overt and covert. Your elder brother and I have carefully considered and removed many things that are not in line with the national conditions of our Ming Dynasty. Only then can we implement them without hindrance in this land."
Zhu Su nodded. He knew about this. Without the efforts of Zhu and his elder brother Zhu Biao in the court to promote the policies they proposed for future generations, the Ming Dynasty would not be what it is today.
After all, the implementation of each policy has its own specific political background. If it is promoted in a different time and environment, even a good policy that should benefit the country and the people may become a bad policy that harms the country and the people.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were both extremely talented people who were able to eliminate the dross and retain the essence of the policies brought by their time traveler. In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang was a founding monarch with strong execution ability. He was able to use iron-fisted methods and ignore most obstacles to promote these policies. This made these policies still effective in the early Ming Dynasty.
If these two people hadn't covered for him, perhaps the things he said would have caused chaos in the world and the people would have suffered.
"But even your elder brother and I have one thing that we cannot grasp... You are a smart person, you should have seen it clearly and you cannot be unaware of the reason behind it."
"That is... these things are actually disruptive to the moral order."
"Those things in the past could be covered up and barely explained away. But as for enlightening the people..."
"To enlighten the people, we must tell them why our Zhu family governs the country and why we hold the position of emperor."
"Previous emperors relied on Confucianism and moral principles... Now, you want to overturn the moral principles of Confucianism and make the people wise."
"Then what are you going to rely on to establish new principles?"
"What do you rely on to make my Zhu family's legal lineage legitimate and last for thousands of years?"
Old Zhu stared at Zhu Su and said.
To be honest, the point that Lao Zhu asked is actually one of the most fiercely criticized points among Confucianists and many opposing voices.
Class rule in the feudal era requires legal system. Since Dong Zhongshu, the legal system given to the king and the people of the world is "respecting heaven and following ancestors" and "three cardinal guides and five constant virtues". He regarded the emperor as the Son of Heaven, believing that the Son of Heaven guards the people on behalf of heaven, so the world is born to be the Son of Heaven's territory, and the people are born to be the Son of Heaven's subjects.
However, the new learning has actually gradually broken the halo of the emperor. The new learning does not emphasize "heavenly principles", but emphasizes "starting from reality and seeking truth from facts", "bold guesses and careful verification". Although it is also combined with Confucianism, after the development of the past few years, everyone knows that the new learning is a pragmatic learning and is actually anti-Confucianism.
Can the "Son of Heaven" and "Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues" stand up to "verification"? The answer is obvious. There is no way to verify it.
It is for this reason that the new school of thought has actually avoided talking about this aspect. This aspect still belongs to the control of the old Confucianism, and the Confucian scholars have the final right of interpretation. The common people are mediocre, so naturally they believe what the scholars say, and they don't have the leisure to doubt these things.
However, the move to enlighten the people will undoubtedly make more intelligent people among the people, and these schools are mostly built for practical purposes. As for the education on Confucianism and legal system, it actually mostly depends on the students to find teachers to study on their own if they are interested after they have been enlightened.
There is a finite number of officials in the world. The purpose of opening schools to enlighten the people is not to make everyone flock to study Confucianism and become officials, but to allow knowledge in all walks of life in the Ming Dynasty to flourish... This will inevitably weaken the dominant position of traditional Confucianism.
With more smart people, some people will naturally think: Why should the emperor have the right to rule the people with confidence?
Son of Heaven? Why is the emperor the Son of Heaven? What is Heaven?
As more people gain knowledge and are able to explain things around them, fewer people will revere God, and fewer people will blindly trust God.
However, the new learning can prove the greatness of China, but the greatness of the Zhu family, to a large extent, is actually tied to Zhu Yuanzhang alone... Zhu Yuanzhang drove out the Tartars and restored China, and he was indeed a well-deserved leader. But what about the later generations?
What if a tyrant with a bad reputation appeared in the Zhu family? Would the people, who have been enlightened, be willing to continue to support this tyrant?
The legal system of the Zhu family will also be affected.
Zhu Su was silent for a moment, then raised his head and looked into Old Zhu's eyes.
"Father, your majesty's discerning eyes are far inferior to yours... If that's the case, Father, you should be able to see it."
"Even if there is a time traveler like me, who can predict what will happen a hundred years later, I can help you, your Majesty, to avoid disaster and seek good fortune for our Zhu family in advance."
"But... even so, even if we don't enlighten the people and grant fiefdoms to foreign nations now, we can just be a patcher in advance and make some preparations for the problems that may arise in the Ming Dynasty in the future."
"Even so, can you guarantee that the Ming Dynasty will last for thousands of years and be immortal, and that my Zhu family will be able to rule this land forever?"
Zhu Su said calmly.
(End of this chapter)