I'm really not doing business

Chapter 874 Is there still justice? Is there still law?
In the early years of the Wanli Reform, there were two lines of reform. The Jin Party, headed by Gao Gong, called out "How can a ten-year-old prince rule the world?" and advocated completely sidelining the Wanli Emperor. Gao Gong also sent someone to tell Zhang Juzheng that "he should work with the public to achieve this unprecedented achievement."
Zhang Juzheng shouted the slogan of "respecting sovereignty, regulating officials, rewarding and punishing faithfully, issuing one order and enforcing the law for the whole world".

Later, Yang Bo and Wang Chonggu tried to win over Zhang Juzheng and advocated the merger of Chu and Jin, which was just a continuation of Gao Gong's proposal. In the decisive battle at that time, both sides had already made their cards clear. Gao Gong, Yang Bo, Wang Chonggu and Lu Shusheng all told Zhang Juzheng that according to historical experience, if you take the path of reform, you will not have a good ending.

The death of the leader and the demise of the regime may be the only outcome.

Around these two routes, the Ming Dynasty launched the final decisive battle after the death of the late emperor.

In the end, it was Empress Dowager Chen and Empress Dowager Li who took charge of the situation. They summoned the cabinet, the five ministries, and the six departments, and expelled Gao Gong from the capital. He was not allowed to stay for a day and had to return to Xinzheng, Henan immediately.

Gao Gong had no choice but to leave. In the end, the Ming Dynasty chose Zhang Juzheng's path. The two Empress Dowagers and the Emperor chose Zhang Juzheng naturally because of their own interests. Once Gao Gong completely undermined the imperial power, it would represent the complete weakening of the Ming royal family.

Whether it was Huo Guang in the early Han Dynasty who deposed and enthroned the emperor, Cao Cao in the late Han Dynasty who held the emperor hostage to control the princes, or the eunuchs who held military power in the late Tang Dynasty and deposed and enthroned nine emperors, whether it was the empress dowager or the emperor, once they lost their power, they would be at the mercy of others.

There was nothing wrong with the choice of the two Empress Dowagers, and Gao Gong's reasons were also very sufficient. He taught Emperor Wanli, who was still the crown prince, for four years. Emperor Wanli could not read, did not understand sentences, and could not even recognize all the characters.

However, there was an unavoidable problem in Gao Gong's route, and Zhang Juzheng had no choice, that is, his name was not right and his words were not smooth.

If the Ming Dynasty was like the two Song Dynasties, where the Chenqiao mutiny, wearing the yellow robe, and bullying orphans and widows eventually brought the country to power, Gao Gong's behavior might have won some support. However, the Ming Dynasty was built bit by bit by Emperor Taizu Gao, who worked as a poor laborer, expelled the Tartars, and restored China.

The Ming Dynasty came to power in a legitimate way, unmatched in all previous dynasties.

The Ming Dynasty was not the Song Dynasty. Gao Gong could not gain consensus for what he did under the Ming Dynasty's national system. This meant that he was not justified and his words were not legitimate. He had sidelined the emperor, and he also needed to give up more interests to the Jin Party or the powerful and wealthy people, local celebrities and gentry of the same ruling class, which ultimately made the problems in the world even more serious.

In the early years of the Wanli reign, the world was in trouble with annexation. Once Gao Gong succeeded, he could only give up his interests to gain the recognition of the literati. The land system of the Ming Dynasty would become meaningless, and the world would eventually be in danger. Zhang Juzheng's fate might be the death of the leader and the end of the regime, but Gao Gong's route was bound to fail.

Zhang Juzheng saw this and chose to go all the way, and placed all his hopes on Emperor Wanli to perform better.

In the aftermath of that decisive battle, Lu Shusheng did everything he could. He was recommended by Zhang Juzheng as the Minister of Rites. When he arrived at the court, he opposed Zhang Juzheng everywhere. He opposed the imperial examination system, opposed the emperor's personal involvement in farming, opposed the levy of taxes on Western sailing ships, and opposed the opening of the sea. He opposed everything he could.

But Lu Shusheng was no match for Zhang Juzheng, so he had no choice but to retire and become a teacher behind closed doors, training some successful candidates.

Lu Shusheng tried his best, and in the end, he was also on the list of "families that surrendered", and both the Lu and Lin families were on it. Lu Shusheng was still able to stand in front of the emperor, and it was the only remaining scholar-official character that prevented him from losing his manners in front of the emperor.

The moment Lu Shusheng saw the roster, he suddenly felt that his life had been lived in vain.

He was the champion of the imperial examination in the 20th year of the reign of Jiajing, a world-renowned talent. When he was named on the list of successful candidates, he vowed to revive his country. However, in the end, in his twilight years, he ended up being neither a human nor a human.

It's really sad.

"Lu Shusheng, I am a little confused. Why have you never suspected that this list is fake?"

"I have a very bad reputation among the people. They say I am stingy and greedy for money. I want to repair the Longchi Road and implement the Dinghai school system. The treasury is very poor. I may also ask someone to fabricate a list, stir up a big case, and confiscate property to fill the treasury." Zhu Yijun was a little curious why Lu Shusheng chose to believe Lu Guangzu's story after hearing it.

Instead of suspecting that all this was the emperor's conspiracy.

The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has a large army under his command and is about to make a southern tour. How could the Imperial College of the Southern Court and these powerful and wealthy families in the Southern Court be so bold as to create such a list?
The head should be on the neck!
This is a rebellious act. You don't want to live anymore, and your family members don't want to live anymore either? Have you asked your entire clan?

At such a critical moment, the appearance of such a list of families who had surrendered should be suspected to be a deliberate act of the emperor, no matter how one looks at it.

After all, the last time the emperor went on a southern tour, he extorted 13 million silver coins from the Southern Court, but he didn't take them away and invested them in the Southern Court.

However, Lu Shusheng did not doubt at all that it was the emperor's conspiracy. Instead, his eyes turned red and bloodshot, and it was obvious that he could not accept such a result at all.

It could also be the emperor's conspiracy.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have been retired and living in the capital. Your Majesty is known to the world for his frugality, but Your Majesty will not do this, nor will you allow this to be done. Your Majesty sympathizes with the poor and laborers, but treats everyone in the Ming Dynasty equally. Before the rebels show any signs of rebellion, Your Majesty regards them all as people of the Ming Dynasty, including Gao Gong and me, the criminal." Lu Shusheng was silent for a moment and told the truth.

Gao Gong actually had a posthumous title after his death, which really surprised Lu Shusheng, and even Gao Gong. His Majesty did not launch a full-scale attack on Gao Gong because what Gao Gong said was right. As long as he was telling the truth, he should not be made too difficult, just like the Taoist did not make things difficult for Hai Rui.

After a long time, Lu Shusheng understood His Majesty's thoughts. It was actually very simple. Regarding the issue of loyalty, His Majesty always felt that being loyal to the Ming Dynasty was more important than being loyal to the emperor. The contradiction theory, the public-private theory, and the class theory all illustrate this point.

Lu Shusheng is very respectful to the current Emperor of Ming Dynasty.

He has been as diligent as a donkey in a mill for seventeen years. With his diligence, coupled with his attitude of accepting good advice and persuading people to speak their minds, no matter what path the Ming Dynasty takes, it will be successful.

Lin Fucheng shouted "Wanli Wanli", and all the families were rebellious. In the end, he just went to Southeast Asia to investigate the plantations. The emperor did not even deprive Lin Fucheng of his official status. As a fifth-rank doctoral student in the Academy of Social Sciences, he was a great benefactor in Southeast Asia. His term of office would expire in three months, and he could return to the heartland of the Ming Dynasty.

Lu Shusheng sometimes thought that if a wise ruler like His Majesty wanted to implement the well-field system, he might be able to succeed.

"If Your Majesty wants money, why frame someone?" Lu Shusheng glanced at Feng Bao and sighed.

All the silver of the Ming Emperor was exchanged for gold and placed in the treasury of Tonghe Palace as a credit certificate for issuing banknotes. The emperor was not poor at all. If he had not taken out all the silver from the treasury to be used as national treasury, how could the treasury be so poor?
Zhu Yijun said with a smile on his face: "That's true. I will temporarily suspend the construction of the Chidao and the implementation of the Dinghai school system. I am indeed not short of money."

Lu Shusheng bowed his head again and said, "The reason why I immediately believed this list is because I knew that this list existed."

Zhang Juzheng looked at Lu Shusheng with a frown but said nothing. In fact, as soon as the list came out, Zhang Juzheng thought about why Lu Shusheng made that choice in the first place. He had no choice but to persist in vain.

"I learned about this method of stopping the trend of donations from my grandmother a long time ago. It is not just about academics, but also about land, poetry gatherings, industries, raw materials such as silk, craftsmen, and so on." Seeing that he was on the list, Lu Shusheng decided not to hide it and told the emperor directly.

"Your Majesty, Yao Guangqi, the magistrate of Shanghai, is the kelp king. His kelp has saved the people of the Ming Dynasty from goiter. Besides, he sells kelp at the same time as he sells salt. As long as salt can go to a place, kelp should be able to go there too."

"This is a great merit for the people. He is called a great meritorious person, not just because of the soul-calling case. The people of Songjiang Prefecture believe that his merit is righteousness, so they are not afraid of the evil soul-calling technique."

"Why can't Shandong's kelp enter Huguang, Sichuan and other places? It even has to be sent to Beijing, transported to Shanxi by expressway, and then transported to Sichuan and Huguang. Why does he choose to go far away? Why not just let Shandong's kelp be loaded on ships at Mizhou Maritime Customs, distributed in Songjiang Prefecture, and sent up the river to Huguang and Sichuan?"

"The cruel officials along the Yangtze River alone can skin him alive. If it's just a matter of taking a cut, it would be fine. It's just money. Yao Guangqi can choose to do business with the merchants in Huguang and Sichuan and give them the profit."

"But Yao Guangqi's kelp can't enter Huguang and Sichuan. This is not just a regional issue. Any of his ships can't even pass the border of Nan Ya."

"Yao Guangqi's first kelp boat was intercepted in Chizhou Prefecture. The yamen officers arrested the boatman and his staff and put them in jail. Yao Guangqi tried his best to rescue them, but in the end the boatman and his staff were imprisoned for three years. When they were rescued, they were already emaciated."

"It's not just about culture and business. Once you're on this list, it'll be hard for you to move forward!"

Lu Shusheng was very angry. His Majesty the Emperor thought that this was just a matter of academic affairs, but Lu Shusheng knew too well that it was not just his career, but all aspects of life that would make it difficult to move forward.

Zhu Yijun sat up straight, put away the playfulness on his face, and asked solemnly: "Does Wang Cifu know that his son-in-law has suffered such an injustice? Yao Guangqi did not take a penny from selling kelp, just to find a way to make a living for Shandong fishermen, isn't that okay?"

"Is there still justice? Is there still law?"

Wang Chonggu's mouth twitched obviously, then he bowed his head and said, "He is not my son-in-law, but my brother Wang Chongyi's son-in-law. There is a layer of separation between them. He has never told me about these grievances."

Wang Chonggu's expression showed that he was angry. His brother died for him, and his brother's son-in-law suffered such a great injustice, but he couldn't say anything and didn't know who to tell.

Lu Shusheng stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Lin Fucheng is from Songjiang Prefecture. He offended the Xia family of Renhe and was thrown into jail that afternoon. Because of his crime, he could no longer take the imperial examination, so he became a scribe for a miscellaneous newspaper. There is a common tacit understanding among the powerful and the local gentry."

“This list of donation homes is nothing more than this tacit reality.”

"Lu Shusheng, what do you think we should do?" Zhu Yijun asked Lu Shusheng for his opinion on how to deal with the matter to see what this potential traitor thought.

Lu Shusheng gnashed his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, survey and return the land, conduct a census of the population, reduce rents and establish a Dinghai school system. Anyone who made up this list will have their property confiscated and their entire family exterminated. Anyone who joins the rebellion will never be allowed to take the imperial examinations again!"

"Since the Dinghai school system was introduced, the list of families that have surrendered has increased from 300 to 1,300. In a few years, they will be a minority. We should use both rewards and punishments, and work together to make the rebels a minority. Then they will inevitably fail!"

Lu Shusheng knew how to target this group of people. For whom did the death knell of Huantian toll? It tolled for this group of traitors.

Emperor Taizu Gao banned the Quanzhou Pu family from taking the imperial examinations, and the Quanzhou Pu family was immediately destroyed. It was very easy to deal with them, as their signs of rebellion had already been revealed. With a two-pronged approach, no wealthy family could withstand it.

The North-South List case in the 30th year of Hongwu was a case of bullying Zhu Yuanzhang because he was old and weak. Emperor Jianwen Zhu Yunwen needed the help of this group of literati to secure his rule over the world.

"Your Majesty, the big case of the North and South List at the beginning of the country was because the court was short of people. Yang Shiqi did not take the imperial examination, but was recommended as an official. At that time, there were few people, few scholars, and few scholars willing to serve as officials in the court, so they could only compromise a little." Lu Shusheng said with certainty: "It's different now. Three people are waiting for one pit."

This could not be done during the Hongwu period because there was a lack of scholars to serve as officials. This was allowed during the Wanli period because there was not much else during that period, and the streets were full of scholars, while many juren could not even get an official position.

Zhu Yijun looked at Lu Shusheng, nodded and said, "Mr. Lu is a sensible man. Now that he has retired, he has stopped talking nonsense."

"I am a guilty minister...ashamed." Lu Shusheng felt a little regretful. He regretted it when he saw Yuan Keli. He should have been braver at the beginning!
Whether you bravely support the new policy or oppose it, the final result is that you will be on the list of the donation center. What is the difference? !

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "Alright, I have finished asking questions. Lu Qing, don't get angry about this. I will be on a southern tour soon. These problems must be solved. Go back."

"I, your humble servant, shall take my leave." Lu Shusheng bowed again and left the Wenhua Palace feeling a little dizzy. He squinted his eyes and looked at the sun hanging high in the sky. He only hoped that His Majesty, who was in the prime of his power, could give some strength and solve this matter thoroughly and without any consequences.

Otherwise, he would be the sinner of both the Lu and Lin families.

It was hard for Lu Shusheng to imagine that just because he didn't risk his life, he would become a surrendered minister.

Zhu Yijun said to Feng Bao, "Cancel Lu Shusheng's charges and restore his treatment. What happened in the past is over." "I obey your order." Feng Bao bowed his head and accepted the order.

Lu Shusheng retired due to a crime, and he did not receive any honorary treatment for retirement. Zhu Yijun cancelled Lu Shusheng's criminal record, and from today on, Lu Shusheng can receive his salary again.

It is impossible to reinstate him, but giving him some salary is considered a favor from the court.

"What do you think, sir?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhang Juzheng for his opinion on restoring Lu Shusheng's treatment.

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhang Juzheng bowed his head and said. He had no opinion. Instead, he felt a little gloating. Lu Shusheng had suffered for so many years just because he was afraid in the beginning, and in the end he was included in the list of surrendered people for revenge.

"Your Majesty, I have doubts about this list. Why? I am the first person to submit the list, shouldn't I be the Prime Minister?!" Wang Chonggu said in some surprise. It was Zhang Juzheng who initiated the Wanli Restoration, not him, Wang Chonggu!

Why would Wang Chonggu be at the top of the list when there is a reckoning in the future? In other words, if there is a counterattack, his family will be the first to suffer!

Zhu Yijun smiled and said, "Mr. Wang's new policies mainly focus on the administration of officials, and the official factories of the second assistant provide the material basis for the new policies. To a certain extent, Mr. Wang's new policies lack the support of the material basis and are bound to fail, and Wang the second assistant makes up for this."

"This is not surprising. For example, the imperial court's previous implementation of the Single Whip Law in Songjiang Prefecture was stopped in the 13th year of the Wanli reign because of a lack of sufficient silver. This is a manifestation of a lack of material foundation. No matter what you want to do, you can't avoid the productivity, production relations, and means of production in the Production Diagram."

"These cheap Confucian scholars don't talk about it, but they do have some research on the theory of contradiction and the theory of production diagrams."

Zhu Yijun believed that these inferior scholars listed Wang Chonggu first on the list because they read the Theory of Contradiction and Theory of Production Diagram. It was indeed strange that Zhang Juzheng and Qi Jiguang were ranked at the back, while Wang Chonggu was ranked at the front.

"Your Majesty, I think that these retro-styled people ranked Wang Ci Fu first because in their eyes, Wang Ci Fu is a traitor." Shen Li felt that your Majesty was a bit optimistic. If these retro-styled guys had read some theories of contradiction and production diagrams, they would not have ended up in this dead end.

The core idea of ​​the contradiction theory is to prevent conflicts from erupting violently to the point where the conflicting parties destroy each other.

It is obvious that these retro-styled people are on the road to death and will never look back. They don't look like they have read the theory of contradictions at all.

"That makes sense." Zhu Yijun thought about it and agreed with Shen Li's explanation. Perhaps Shen Li's explanation was more reasonable.

"Throughout history, both in China and abroad, reformers in all countries have always suffered bloodshed and sacrifice. When the reformists and the conservatives killed each other because of irreconcilable conflicts, there were always people who, faced with the tragic scene of rivers of blood, marveled and said, 'Why does reform require bloodshed and sacrifice? It would be better not to reform.'"

Zhu Yijun looked at all the court officials and said, "What do you think of handling this matter?"

"Your Majesty, the Beijing camp has just finished a battle and 30,000 men are taking turns to rest, but the previous 70,000 men have already rested. I can lead the troops and accompany Your Majesty south to sweep the world and restore peace to the Ming Dynasty." Qi Jiguang stood up directly and said that he could still fight.

After Mori Terumoto's desperate fight, the Ming Dynasty's capital camp's combat mission became mainly to maintain stability, and they had actually begun to rest and recuperate.

Qi Jiguang was not that tired as he had been fighting all his life.

His meaning was very clear. There was nothing much to say. The rebellion had to be suppressed. The Ming Dynasty's Capital Camp should show some force internally and tell these idiots that the blades of the Ming Dynasty's Capital Camp could also be pointed inwards.

"I think the whole group should be punished." Zhang Juzheng maintained his original opinion.

"I think these are no longer ordinary traitors. If they are not dealt with seriously and they do not pay a sufficient price for the list of families who surrendered, who will obey the orders of the Ming court in the future?" Wang Chonggu expressed his opinion as the second assistant.

Zhang Xueyan bowed his head and said, "The Ministry of Revenue still has 22 million shi of grain, and the national treasury has a surplus of 20 million silver coins in the old treasury. Your Majesty, food and wages are not a problem."

The troops have not moved yet, but the food and fodder have gone ahead. The national treasury has sufficient food and fodder, so we can take action.

The court officials expressed their opinions and the necessity of the emperor's armed southern tour was once again affirmed by the court officials. If he did not make the southern tour, Jiangnan would probably be separated from the Ming Dynasty!
"Then let's prepare to launch a major trial." Zhu Yijun summarized the opinions of the court officials and made the final decision to launch a major trial.

This represents the official start of the fifth major case of the Wanli reign.

The Nan Ya Tiqi sealed off the entire Nan Ya Imperial College, and then conducted a comprehensive investigation of everyone in the Imperial College, including the students, to find out the identities of those who made the list and the powerful families behind them. These were the main culprits and would undoubtedly be put to death, and their families would also be in trouble.

Starting a major purge meant that the emperor was prepared to be scolded, and also meant that he was prepared to overturn the table.

"Your Majesty, why don't you wait until the rebels are killed before setting off on the southern tour?" After the court meeting, Zhang Juzheng stayed alone and asked the emperor whether he wanted to change the time of his southern tour.

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. At this time of intense conflict and contradiction, the emperor still had to go on a southern tour, and Zhang Juzheng was worried about accidents.

Shuntian Prefecture is a loyal Shuntian Prefecture, while Yingtian Prefecture is not so loyal.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Sir, do you mean that I should avoid you?"

"I cannot avoid it. I must go to Jiangnan as scheduled. Otherwise, these guys will think that I am afraid of them. This is a matter of determination. 1,300 powerful and wealthy local gentry have surrendered to me and obeyed my orders. I must make a gesture to reassure them."

"If you have the guts, these conservatives, just kill me."

"I am just worried about His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Zhang Juzheng expressed his concerns.

Zhu Changzhi is much more capable than your Majesty was at the time! He is well educated, very sensible, and sympathetic to the poor and the laboring people. If something happens to this prince, Zhang Juzheng is afraid that your Majesty will regret it.

Zhang Juzheng was naturally worried because Emperor Jiajing had eight sons and only one of them was alive.

Political struggles have always been so cruel.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "Then leave Luo Sigong to Zhier. To bear the disgrace of the country is to be the master of the country; to bear the misfortune of the country is to be the king of the world."

"I obey your command." Zhang Juzheng breathed a sigh of relief. He was not worried about His Majesty. His Majesty was already 27 years old and was extremely cautious in doing things. For example, this time when he went to Tianjin to be demoted to a suburban labor position, His Majesty should have stayed at the Suburban Labor Platform for a long time. This was a good opportunity for assassination, but His Majesty did not go. This might be because His Majesty was vigilant.

Your Majesty's wariness of scholars is a dead knot that is impossible to untie. Zhang Juzheng was too lazy to do it. If he tried to untie it a little, the lowly Confucian scholars would tighten their grip three times.

Zhu Changzhi is very dangerous and needs someone to stay behind to protect him. Luo Sigong is undoubtedly the best candidate.

Zhu Yijun walked away and said, "Teacher, I asked you back then, what if you are not magnanimous and resolute?"

"Teacher, if one is resolute but not broad-minded, narrow-minded and selfish, and only cares about one's own interests, then if one is in a high position in the government, he will be a traitor to the country; if those who govern the people are all full of selfish interests and can still remain steadfast, then the country will be in great danger. What I heard today is indeed true."

"These guys think they are the masters of this land, the real rulers."

"No matter who sits on the dragon throne, if we want to maintain the stability and development of the country, we must rely on them. Without them, the throne will not be stable and the country will be in danger."

"Since the opening of the country during the Longqing reign, the Wanli Reform, the spread of Yangming's philosophy of mind, and the initial establishment of a commodity economy, the power of the gentry in Jiangnan began to expand rapidly. They felt that there was no force in the world that could restrain them."

"With money, they cultivated the most scholars, literati, and bureaucrats. With money, their influence on the country increased, and their influence on the world reached an unprecedented height."

"They have forgotten that this country is not my own, but the country of all the people. They are not the masters, nor am I, but the people are."

Zhang Juzheng bowed his head and said: "So if you want to make the country rich and the army strong, you must first strengthen the army. If you don't strengthen the military, I'm afraid the world will be in turmoil."

If the emperor does not strengthen his military power, he will not even have the strength to overturn the table, let alone 1,300 families surrendering to him, not even a single one will come.

It is impossible to collect taxes from the southeast, the imperial treasury is empty, and the front line lacks military pay and supplies, so it can only fight hastily. Not to mention Qi Jiguang, even if Bai Qi came, he might not be able to win. So if you want to collect taxes from the southeast, you have to have violence in your hands.

In this case, if you don't want to lose your head, you have no choice but to pay your taxes.

"From what we know so far, the Yang Wei case and the Tian Yijun case are just the continuation of the Jiangnan tribute selection case. This is the root. The previous two cases are just fruits of this vine." Zhang Juzheng pondered the connection between these cases and determined their inextricable relationship.

"That makes sense." Zhu Yijun nodded solemnly, agreeing with Zhang Juzheng's judgment. This was a series of cases, not a single case. If they were viewed separately, they would not be able to see the full picture.

Zhang Juzheng continued, "These powerful and wealthy people are best at playing both sides. The main branch obeys the imperial court's orders, while the side branches secretly collude and join hands to rebel. The main branch keeps the stove hot, while the side branches keep the stove cold. It's always like this. No matter who comes, they have to rely on these local snakes to collect taxes."

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment, then stood beside the train, sighed and said, "So the only way to deal with them is to kill them."

"There is no other way. The practical results of the Tax Inspection Office are like this. If we don't let them know the fear, they will not change." Zhang Juzheng often advised the emperor to practice benevolence and forgiveness.

Your Majesty is very merciful. For example, just now, Your Majesty forgave Lu Shusheng's crime.

Lu Shusheng was very close to being a traitor, but he was not. He did not take any actual action to rebel. Instead, he tried to oppose the new policies through infighting in the court. Of course, he failed unsurprisingly when facing Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Yijun could tolerate different opinions, but acts of rebellion were unforgivable.

There are some things that cannot be solved by benevolence and forgiveness. For example, if the emperor wants to build five large tiled houses, then those who don't allow him to build large tiled houses cannot be persuaded.

For example, regarding taxation, since the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, the Ming Dynasty had always hoped to use the method of benevolence and forgiveness to obtain taxes from the south of the Yangtze River. However, the situation was getting worse and worse, and the Ming Dynasty was already unable to make ends meet. Zhang Juzheng took out the land survey and the emperor took out the Tax Inspection Office. They all had the same method: if you paid taxes, you were a citizen of the Ming Dynasty. If you didn't, you would be sent to see Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.

Practice has shown that violence cannot solve problems, but it can solve those who create problems.

(End of this chapter)