King of Han Dynasty of Ming Dynasty

This question was asked.

How many acres of arable land did the Ming Dynasty have?
It seems like a trivial question, but it is actually quite embarrassing.

Don't even mention asking them.

If you ask this question to Emperor Yongle and the high-ranking ministers in the court, I'm afraid no one would be able to give an accurate answer.

There is no other reason.

These data are measured and checked by local officials.

The reported numbers are also summarized by the people below.

If you say there is no water in this, they will not believe it even if you beat them to death. It is simply impossible.

So, how can we have an accurate number?

but
Although no one knew how much land the Ming Dynasty had, both Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui knew better than anyone that most of this land must be controlled by local gentry and officials.

After all, Zhu Gaoxu had just said clearly that local officials who took office had colluded with gentry and nobles to make money and seize land.

After a brief silence, Zhu Gaochi had no choice but to bite the bullet, shook his head with a slightly embarrassed look, and said in a deep voice:

"I don't know."

Having said this, he paused, then suddenly changed the subject and asked in confusion:
"Second child"

"What do you mean?"

"What exactly are you trying to express?"

"What exactly do you mean by what you just said?"

"Imperial power and imperial decree, aren't they the most powerful things in the world?"

"Is there anything more efficient than this?"

In this regard.

Zhu Gaoxu shook his head slightly, a wry smile appeared on his face, and he looked a little helpless, and replied:

"Why not?"

"And this thing is exactly what I asked you when I asked you the question."

Such shocking remarks.

It can be said that Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui were stunned on the spot. They looked at him in disbelief. After a brief moment of stunned silence, Zhu Gaochi jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on, and exclaimed:

"Crazy! Crazy!!"

"Second brother, you are really crazy."

"Listen to what you are saying. Do you know what you are saying?"

"land?"

"Can land be more powerful than imperial power? More powerful than an imperial decree?"

"Who are you trying to fool? Are you crazy?"

"How is this possible?"

That being said.

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui could not believe that his words were true.

But
The two men knew in their hearts that Zhu Gaoxu was not a person who liked to act insolently for no reason. Since he could make such shocking remarks, he must have his reasons.

Faced with the two people's questions, he looked very surprised.

Zhu Gaoxu was not angry at all. He smiled helplessly and said:
“What do people rely on to survive?”

“It’s definitely the land.”

"Faced with the issue of survival and the issue of imperial power, if you were ordinary people, what choice would you make?"

"Do you really think that those officials, gentry, and nobles seized land just to gain profits?"

"How much benefit can it bring to them in terms of land?"

"The real reason they seized land and enclosed it is that they saw more clearly than anyone else that as long as they seized the land, they would be holding the lifeline of the people, and they would have the right to speak for the people."

"This is their real purpose and interest."

"They controlled the land and the people's lifeline, and they had the power to call the shots among the people. The people would always be their slaves in front of the gentry and the nobles. Whatever the gentry, the nobles, and the officials said, it was what the people believed."

"In this case, please ask."

"Do the imperial power, the royal family, and the imperial edicts really have any power or deterrence in the eyes of the people? Can they really be better than others?"

"Put yourself in the shoes of the people. What choice would you make if you were in their shoes?"

"Why did Taizu start the rebellion, and why has our Zhu family been able to survive until today?"

"Have you all really forgotten everything?"

"If this continues, will the true masters of our Ming Dynasty still be our Zhu family? Or will they still be the common people?"

Having said this, Zhu Gaoxu paused, his expression suddenly became extremely cold, and he continued with murderous intent:

"How are these bastards selected and promoted?"

"Isn't it Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism and other bullshit theories that created it?"

"Big brother, big brother, you guys say"

"Am I wrong in saying this?"

Hearing the questioning that was almost like a roar, the two brothers Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui were so frightened that they took several steps back involuntarily, lowered their heads and dared not look at him.

Tell the truth.

These words, these bloody realities.

This is completely contrary to what they have received and learned over the years.

After a brief silence, Zhu Gaochi stopped his swaying body and his chubby and gentle face was filled with murderous intent. He shouted angrily:
"How dare they? How dare they?!"

"Second child"

"How could they do this. How could they?"

"Haha." Zhu Gaoxu sneered, his face sneered and said in a deep voice, "Why can't I? Why don't I dare?"

"This is not the worst, not the cruelest."

"Boss"

"You are well-read, so you should know more about the laws and regulations of the Ming Dynasty and the various taxes and levies than I do, right?"

"When the gentry, nobles, and officials have enough land in their hands."

"Have you ever thought about where the various taxes and levies of the imperial court come from?"

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the nobles, gentry, and officials have various taxes and levies that can be reduced or even exempted. The people are starving, and there are various taxes and levies. What should the various prefectures do?"

"Once this happens and develops to this point, what will become of the entire Ming Dynasty?"

Talking, talking.

Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but think of the late Ming Dynasty.

China's treasury is empty.

Not to mention that the people are not able to get enough food.

Even the soldiers who fought hard for the Ming Dynasty and the imperial court to guard the border.

What kind of life are you all living?

But compared with the court’s embarrassment, compared with the court’s emptiness.

What kind of life did the nobles, gentry, and officials of the Ming Dynasty live?
It can be said that the life is even better than that of the royal family and the emperor.

The right to enjoy all kinds of items and the comfort level are simply beyond description in words.

It was a testament to the saying: The rich have wine and meat, while the poor have frozen to death on the streets. The common people were starving to death, exchanging their children for food, eating Guanyin soil, grass, and tree bark.

And those people...

I'm afraid even the food used to feed animals is a million times better than this.

I remember that Emperor Chongzhen tried to save the Ming Dynasty from danger.

Faced with an empty treasury and an impoverished court.

The attempt was to let these officials, gentry, and nobles share the court's worries and contribute to the court.

These individuals are making excuses in every possible way.

His words humiliated Emperor Chongzhen to the core.

They all cried and complained about their poverty.

The final result?
The capital of the Ming Dynasty was captured by Li Zicheng's army.

Emperor Chongzhen ended his life with a white silk cloth under the crooked tree on Coal Hill.

And those officials, gentry, and nobles who cried poor and groaned.

Didn't get any benefit at all.

His attempt to surrender to Li Zicheng failed.

One by one, Li Zicheng confiscated their property and exterminated their families, and they became prisoners of others.

The most ridiculous thing is that Li Zicheng collected tens of thousands of dan of grain from the homes of those who cried poor in the court, and the silver he hid was worth tens of millions of taels.

How ridiculous and sad this is.

Sometimes, I really don’t know what these people are thinking.

"Ugh…"

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu sighed, glanced coldly, and continued:
"how?"

"What do you think?"

"What will happen to the final Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Gaochi: "!!!!!!"

Zhu Gaosui: “???????”

Muggle! Totally Muggle!

After hearing this, the two people standing aside felt a chill in an instant.

If something like that were to really happen, if that time really came, what would be the outcome, and what would become of the entire Ming Dynasty?
Does this need to be said?
The people worked hard to cultivate the little bit of land they owned, and harvested food whose yield depended on the weather. In the end, they would even be charged increasingly heavy taxes by the imperial court, which would be deducted from their burdens in an inexplicable way.

As a result, they are not well fed, not well clothed, and may even starve to death.

To put it more bluntly, it is to retrace the path that the Zhu family had taken in the past, and finally walk to a cliff and into the abyss.

If it really comes to that, what choices will those people who can't survive make?

no doubt.

As long as someone takes the lead, they will inevitably rise up and follow Zhu Yuanzhang's path to rebellion.

A single spark can start a prairie fire.

As the people rose up in rebellion, did the Zhu family in the Ming Dynasty at that time really have the ability to suppress them?
The Zhu family goes against the people.

Is there really any way to survive?
The answer is definitely no.

If it was just a few states, we might be able to suppress it with gritted teeth.

Once such a situation occurs across the country, how can it be suppressed?
Unless it's a god.

Otherwise, who would have the ability to be the enemy of all the people in the world?

and.
The Ming Dynasty was not at peace all around. The Tartars in the north were eyeing the country covetously, and some other forces were ready to take advantage of the situation and make inroads. The result was predictable.

On this matter.

Listen to Zhu Gaoxu's story and explain the reasons in detail.

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui, who were standing aside, had solemn expressions on their faces. They knew in their hearts that these remarks were not just alarmist remarks by Zhu Gaoxu, nor were they simply meant to scare them.

But it is real, and if the current trend continues, it will definitely happen.

To know.

The reasons why the Yuan Dynasty was destroyed are still fresh in our memory!
to be honest.

Isn’t it that the people have no food to eat and are almost starving to death?

After a brief pause, Zhu Gaochi slowly raised his head, looked at Zhu Gaoxu eagerly, and asked solemnly:

"Second child"

"What should I do?"

"Is there any way for the imperial court to prevent all these things from happening?"

however.

The cruel reality gave Zhu Gaochi a loud slap in the face.

"hehe."

Zhu Gaoxu sneered, a hint of disdain and sarcasm flashed across his face, and asked back:

"Prevent?"

"Who will stop it?"

"Should I go, or should you go, or should our Zhu clan members go?"

"to be honest."

"Boss, we three brothers and this old man are the only ones in the world who really want to serve the country and the people. As for our Zhu clan members, who can guarantee that they can resist such a huge temptation?"

“Never test human nature. Human nature is the last thing that deserves to be tested and cannot be tested. In the face of sufficiently large interests, human nature and human character are a joke.”

"Don't talk about supervision system. Remember that supervision is done by people."

"Moreover, the people in the current Ming Dynasty court are all selected by Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. In a sense, their interests are almost the same, or in other words, they are more or less related from certain angles and can be considered as one of our own."

"You let your own people supervise your own people, let your own people stab your own people, and let others cut off your own financial resources. What do you think the chances of success are?"

“Ask yourself, if you were in those people’s shoes, would you do that?”

"certainly."

"I don't deny that there are definitely some people who truly serve the country and the people and are willing to fight and resist."

“But human power has its limits.”

"Once it comes to that point, do those who are forced to rebel really think that others will not take ruthless action?"

"Do you really think the imperial power can be protected?"

"Throughout the dynasties, how many loyal ministers, how many ministers devoted to the country, even though the emperor knew it in his heart, he still had to shed tears and execute Ma Su, letting him die unjustly?"

"If loyal ministers and important officials who are dedicated to the country are forced to die in vain, how many people will be willing to work for the emperor?"

"Even ants try to survive, boss, you don't know this, do you?"

Face ridicule and sarcasm.

Zhu Gaochi could not help but clench his fists and opened his mouth several times to refute and say something to defend himself. However, he thought about it over and over again but could not find any words to defend himself. He tried to deny others and ended up getting so angry that shame was evident on his chubby face.

That's it.

The two looked at each other for a long time.

Zhu Gaochi retracted his gaze, and like a deflated ball, he sat down on the ground again. His eyes were slightly dazed, his face was filled with endless loneliness, he lowered his head and muttered to himself in a low voice:
"Is there really no way? Is there really no way to contain it, no way to restrain it, no way to stop it?"

"Even though we know the outcome, is there really nothing we can do?" (End of this chapter)