Zhu Houcong was not joking when he said that he asked Yan Shifan to send people to find the so-called emperor of Japan.
"Your Majesty, that place has not respected the king for hundreds of years." Yan Shifan didn't understand, "What's the use of looking for their Naoshiko Emperor?"
Before the Song Dynasty, the rulers of Japan were only called the King of Japan. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the official history recorded the title "Emperor", but the Ming Dynasty again used the title "King of Japan".
In fact, they originally officially claimed to be the "kings who rule the world". But that year, Japan had its first queen, and the regent Prince Shotoku carried out reforms, which greatly improved the king's legal power, personnel power, political power, diplomatic power, etc.
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Not only that, Japan also attempted an expedition to Silla at that time. This was all because Prince Shotoku was ambitious to increase Japan's influence.
For this reason, the "Kokuki", "Emperor's Chronicle" and other books were compiled, and the imperial line was extended forward by about a thousand years. Thirty-two fictitious emperors were artificially placed in the gap of this thousand years.
This is the beginning when the King of Japan officially calls himself the Emperor.
But in fact, the seventeenth article of the Constitution of Prince Shotoku is full of shadows of Chinese Confucianism, Legalism, and Taoism. The twelve official ranks also quoted the five virtues of Confucianism to distinguish official ranks. The seventeenth article of the Constitution is also because the cathode is eight.
The yang pole is nine, and seventeen is the sum of yin and yang, the way of heaven and earth.
In Yan Shifan's view, the emperor actually called himself "Emperor", which made Yan Shifan a little uneasy: Has His Majesty's thoughts on Japan changed?
Zhu Houcong said: "Thieves are vying with each other in the country, and the people are in ruins. There is war at home, and the neighbors are disturbed externally. In this case, if I don't go to the King of Japan, how can I go to his ministers?"
"...What's the use of looking for him?" Yan Shifan couldn't turn around, "The Japanese king was so poor that he couldn't even hold a succession ceremony after he succeeded to the throne. It took ten years before he got Ouchi Yoshitaka.
I donated some money to do it, I heard it was more than 2,000 yuan... Let me do the math, he succeeded to the throne in the fifth year of Jiajing, and the grand ceremony was not held until the seventeenth year of Jiajing!"
He said worriedly: "I'm afraid it will make the Japanese think that Your Majesty is unaware of the situation in Japan."
Zhu Houcong looked at him quietly.
Yan Shifan was embarrassed for a while, and then he came to his senses: "...At least the Ouchi, Nizi, and Maori clans know about me. So this move is to let them see that His Majesty is in contact with the King of Japan, which may help him.
idea?"
Zhu Houcong sneered: "What can I do to help him? Just send an envoy to pass on my imperial edict: Japan has been in war for years, and the people have no way of living and become bandits, causing harm to Ming Dynasty, North Korea and other neighboring countries. I will ask him to hold him accountable!"
"..." Yan Shifan was embarrassed again, this time he just used his brain to think urgently.
"Whoever is the king of Japan will be held accountable by me." Zhu Houcong raised his head and said, "If he can't afford it, just give up the throne. Anyway, his line has long existed in name only. Do the Ashikaga clan dare to take the responsibility?"
"... I'm afraid I don't dare. We are already weak, and if there are any suspicions of usurping the throne, we will naturally attack in groups."
"The king is unwilling to take responsibility, and the general who conquered the barbarians does not dare to take responsibility, that means no one can take responsibility for it. If the people in Japan cannot live and work in peace and contentment without going to the sea to become bandits, who of the civil and military officials in the Manchu Dynasty will be blameless? The Japanese people have been fighting hard for a long time, if
No one can make the decision, so Ming Dynasty will make the decision himself!"
Yan Shifan finally understood: "Take some time to learn and become famous?"
Zhu Houcong laughed: "I called you back to discuss it in detail. You have been there for a long time, and you know more details..."
Yan Shifan just had a private chat with the emperor first, reported his own views and confirmed the emperor's thinking.
Before he resigned and went home, the emperor told him to go to the palace tomorrow to hold a formal meeting to discuss in detail.
At that time, Xia Yan and others will participate.
Yan Shifan returned home, and his father Yan Song was getting close to two grandchildren he had never seen before.
In addition to the "eldest" born to his wife before leaving Beijing, the family now has four children.
But both father and son knew that there was a real boss outside.
After arriving in the study, Yan Song was silent for a moment and said: "After being granted the title of Dongying Bo, the other child should also recognize his ancestor and return to the clan, and take him home."
"……yes."
"It's not usually dangerous, but this time it's really dangerous after I go to Japan."
Yan Shifan asked: "Dad, do you already know what His Majesty is going to do?"
Yan Song sighed: "I have been listening to His Majesty's lectures on the new principles of humanity recently, and my colleagues have also discussed and confirmed them with each other. How can I not guess it?"
"What did your Majesty realize again?"
"Classes, Han Yi, Zhao and Song Dynasties are all based on industry and commerce. Could it be that the true meaning of kings and ministers is to lead the land..." Yan Song sighed, "There are many, many, I will tell you in detail. In short, kings and ministers are careful
I have analyzed why all dynasties have been unable to escape the rule of the country, where is the real way out, and what steps should be taken towards world unity..."
"...His Majesty not only wants to expand the territory, but also really wants to unite the world?"
Yan Song's face could not help but show some strange excitement: "I am really deeply inspired, as if I can feel a little shadow. Your Majesty attaches so much importance to etiquette, culture and education. It turns out that you had vague ideas many years ago."
The achievements of world unity cannot be tolerated by a sixteen-year-old boy, let alone by a sixty-year-old minister.
"How many steps are there in total?"
Yan Shifan couldn't help but ask, and Yan Song was strangely silent for a moment after hearing the words.
"father?"
Yan Song actually looked out the window, and then whispered: "The first step is to make the heads of foreign vassals virtual kings, imitating the Ming Dynasty's strategy and the system of the State Palace..."
Yan Shifan was stunned, and then he understood why his father reacted this way.
He trembled: "Did His Majesty say this himself?"
"The Ming Dynasty can't be the same!" Yan Song immediately apologized and then shut his mouth tightly.
At least...it can't be like this now, right?
But what about the future?
Yan Song felt that His Majesty might have other ideas, but he hasn't said anything yet.
But does His Majesty's idea of Guo Zuo being eternal mean that the Tian family should give up more?
…
During the day-to-day deliberation process, all the ministers had this kind of question lingering in their minds.
It was the emperor himself who was "rebellious". What could they say about this?
I don't dare to touch this issue at all.
But what the emperor said was that the Ming Dynasty's writing, weights and measures, coins, laws, standards and even systems of all walks of life should be implemented first.
There is nothing else to rely on, firstly, the absolute strength now, secondly, the trade benefits that the Ming Dynasty can bring, and thirdly, in the future, we can truly win over the hearts and minds of foreign people, treat them the same, and make their lives better than now.
The integration of nationalities is not a rare thing, but in the past it only happened silently, and not many people studied the reasons behind it and found ways to actively promote its speed.
What the emperor is proposing now is not complicated at all: all people have their own business, and to win the hearts of the people forever is to protect the country forever.
These are beautiful words, and they have heard the underlying essence: Don’t just fish in the Ming Dynasty, the world is huge. Get more from the foreign countries first, so that the people of the Ming Dynasty can live a good life. The living standards of the foreign people are much lower, let’s let the people of the Ming Dynasty live well.
If they can live a better life, even if they live a better life, they will not be raking in all the water.
In the end, if we want to prevent this system from collapsing, we must address the source of wealth.
The emperor's clear and firm view is that labor creates wealth, and the advancement of tools will make the speed and scale of wealth created by labor faster and faster.
The cornerstone of the Ming Dynasty's eternal protection of Guozuo is two points: always standing at the top of technology on the avenue of physics, and always standing on the top of the system on the avenue of human science.
The latter is the point that the ministers feel afraid to touch: this means that the new law will never have an end, will always change with the times, and may touch the foundation of imperial power in the future.
Your Majesty has already stamped himself on the treasure ticket, and used the example of a joint-stock company to strip off the emperor's cloak of sacred destiny.
Nowadays, although it is said that the will of the people is the direction of destiny, aren't there civil servants and military generals who work together to conquer and govern the world?
Everyone is a shareholder.
The foreign vassals first became empty monarchs. Will the Ming Dynasty eventually end up like this?
No one mentioned it, and the emperor didn't make it clear.
Zhu Houcong was very clear in his heart.
He must need the technological progress of the Ming Dynasty, and the improvement of people's awareness will sooner or later strip away the cloak of imperial power.
If the official system needs to be reformed, doesn’t the royal family need to change to adapt to the new situation in the future?
Isn't "virtual monarchization" a way for the royal family to survive longer?
But what Zhu Houcong is more concerned about is how to ensure that the person who will be in power in the future will always be a "wise king" and a "virtuous minister".
The ministers were in class, and Zhu Zaiyi also had his own class.
The eldest son has already gone to Yunnan to visit relatives, and his second son is the successor that Zhu Houcong needs to carefully cultivate.
Although he may have to wait a long time.
Now, the prince has grown up and can understand more profound things.
Therefore, Zhu Houcong spoke very directly.
"Since ancient times, mixing different opinions has been the only method of imperial art. Why? It's just because although power is given by the emperor, once it is given, power is power. Because important ministers always have to face the constraints of other ministers,
Once he boldly usurps the throne, the consequences will be great, so the emperor always has some cards."
Zhu Houcong said seriously: "Once the etiquette breaks down and the appearance of powerful ministers becomes a habit, the emperor in the late Zhou Dynasty, the emperor in the late Han Dynasty, and the current king of Japan are all at the mercy of others. The so-called destiny, at that time,
Not many people believe it, but the people who believe it most are the people. But if the people are always in trouble, the people will not believe it. At that time, those who rise up and overthrow the dynasty are mostly reckless heroes, although many people will not be able to enjoy the fruits of victory for a long time."
"My son understands."
Regardless of whether he understood what he was saying or not, Zhu Houcong continued: "The real conflict of opinions cannot be just for the sake of checks and balances in the court. Those who reach high positions will inevitably stand farther and farther away from the people. But in local officials,
There is no shortage of people who truly love the people. Such people often speak poorly, but supporting them means supporting the right path for the people. Naturally, there will be great resistance, but as long as the people do not lose their support, the emperor will always have a card of destiny in his hand, and there will always be room for maneuver.
.”
"Father, are you talking about resistance that damages more than it can make up for?"
Zhu Houcong smiled with relief: "You can say that there is more than enough harm, which shows that you understand the class that your father said. The distribution of wealth is always difficult to be even. If you want to take the right path of protecting the people's hearts for the sake of the people, you must always do it from time to time.
Let’s attack the wealthy and powerful class. But in these matters, we must pay attention to propriety and understand that even within the wealthy and powerful class, there are various small groups.”
After that, he got serious: "Flow! There is no real permanent stability, only dynamic balance. Everyone, from ordinary people to high-ranking officials, everyone can go up and everyone can go down. Only in this way can conflicts be avoided.
, completely exploded.”
After a pause, he solemnly said: "Including the emperor himself!"
"...Father?"
Zhu Houcong stared into his eyes: "Those who refuse to go down may risk their lives and their family. When my father said that he would go on, he did not mean to give in. The emperor himself has always been just a symbol of power. In order to implement the new law, my father set up national policies.
The meeting, the State Council and the Prime Minister and Minister of State delegated some powers, so it has been smooth for so many years. But the power has been reduced after all. My father has the prestige and means to control it. But not everyone in the Zhu family's descendants will be able to do so in the future.
Even an emperor can do this."
Zhu Zaiyi was in a very complicated mood and murmured: "Father, the Emperor will be the same emperor for eternity, and my sons..."
"So now father is just telling you some things." Zhu Houcong said frankly, "Father will complete all the evil things that Ming Dynasty needs to do in his life. When it comes to your hands, you must remember what I said about serving the people.
.And if in the future the people's wisdom is exhausted, everyone knows what the imperial power is, and all the important officials in the court understand where their power comes from, the Zhu family can have another choice."
"...Isn't their power given by the emperor?"
"No." Zhu Houcong shook his head decisively, "The emperor is just the boss of the world. The people of the world give power to the emperor, and the emperor helps arrange so many people and let them perform their duties. One day, the people of the world will recognize their support.
It is the source of the emperor's power. Officials will also realize that the emperor is just a shopkeeper, and they can hold power with the support of the people. By then, the descendants of the Zhu family should remember my advice."
Zhu Zai'an was shocked in his heart. He looked at his father and asked, "What's the advice?"
"You can gain only by giving up. If the situation has reached this point, your compassion for the people while sacrificing power will still not lose its status as a symbol of transcendence."
"...always a compassionate heart for the people..."
Zhu Zai'an was thoughtful.
Zhu Houcong nodded: "Taizu is one of the poorest ordinary people. The Zhu family can only achieve success by not forgetting its original intention. Do you understand?"
"My son will remember it."
"I don't know how many years it will be." Zhu Houcong relaxed again, "Before that, I was afraid that while the destiny was still with the Zhu family, the biggest disaster was just the Zhu family's own desire for power. It would be great to rule the world and seize life and death.
?It is easy to be a foolish king, but it is difficult to be a wise king. It is both difficult and painful."
After that, he fell silent.
His happiness comes from the relief of transforming the Ming Dynasty and changing history, but for so many years, he has really been a social animal.
Sometimes, the pressure is great, and the sense of mission and heavy responsibility is probably only a person with a DNA of heavy suffering in his memory can continue to find motivation.
but……
"Everyone has a lazy heart and a desire for pleasure." Zhu Houcong looked at his son, "I only hope that starting from you, if I am not willing to endure so much hardship, there will be a better selection system for important ministers. And even if
It's just an emperor with ordinary qualifications and a lazy and hedonistic heart. If he can easily do a few things well and always win the hearts of the people, he can always leave more possibilities for future generations."
"Which things?"
"There are several major issues in people's livelihood." Zhu Houcong said clearly, "disaster relief, almshouses, and medical homes. When the people need it most, let them see the emperor. Then, primary and secondary schools, let the people see the future generations.
hope. These few things are where you, your sons and grandsons, should spend their money in the future, with the foundation laid by your father that the Huangming Asset Bureau can earn money. You must arrange truly effective people in these positions.
people."
"My son, I remember."
"Father is not old yet, you still have a lot of time to understand."
Zhu Houcong stood up: "Although Zhang Juzheng had a hard childhood, he rose to great heights later on. You should see for yourself how it is among the people. After this year's Wanshou Festival, I will make arrangements for you to travel around."
"Father, son and minister..."
"Let Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang accompany you. In terms of safety, you don't need to worry."
Zhu Houcong began to arrange these, but his words and deeds were not enough.
In the future Ming Dynasty, only monarchs and ministers must maintain certain ideals and beliefs in order to remain consistent on some major principles.
Those things can't be packaged in a bunch of flowers and mist. It's better to break them down and explain them in detail.
Digging out the foundation of the country means digging out the common foundation of these ruling classes.
There will naturally be foolish kings, and there will also be traitorous ministers.
Everyone must agree on what things must never be done.
Zhu Houcong so patiently lectured the ministers and taught the prince a lesson, which was a process of unifying his thoughts and ideas.
There will always be small groups and small hills, but on top of that, Ming must have a big circle, an organization that truly has a common idea.
It is said that the Ming Dynasty died due to party strife, and Zhu Houcong tried to take a new step.