Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

Chapter 393: Mr. Song goes to the palace to plead his case, and there is also an unofficial version (Part )
Inside the imperial study, several carved windows rustled in the night wind.

It was as if an elderly man was sighing quietly, expressing the endless loneliness and vicissitudes in the depths of this palace city.

The candlelight flickered, and light and shadows were mottled in the room.

The four treasures of the study, neatly arranged on the table, emitted circles of faint light under the candlelight, revealing a solemnity that made people dare not easily desecrate them.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, but his brows involuntarily frowned slightly.

He felt vaguely uneasy, as if there was an undercurrent quietly surging within the palace walls, as if something was about to disrupt this seemingly peaceful palace night.

The light of the candle shone on Zhu Yuanzhang's weather-beaten face.

The interweaving of light and dark highlighted his deep wrinkles as if carved by a knife, and his worried eyes.

Half of this worry was related to Zhu Yuanzhang's repeated weighing of the jewelry industry policy, and the other half echoed the erratic atmosphere under the candlelight, as if the entire imperial study was shrouded in this solemn atmosphere.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them, as if trying to dispel the uneasiness that lingered in his heart.

Then he narrowed his eyes slightly, leaned back on the dragon chair and fell into deep thought.

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang knew very well that curbing this extravagant lifestyle was not only of utmost importance to the Ming Dynasty, but was also a necessary measure to stabilize the rule and allow the people to live and work in peace.

In his life, he has seen too many examples of people living in poverty and countries declining due to the prevalence of extravagance.

Those dynasties that were once glorious eventually fell into the abyss of destruction amidst the decadence and debauchery.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang would never allow this situation to happen again on Ming territory.

Even if he has to face numerous difficulties, he is determined to completely eradicate this unhealthy trend.

However, looking at the report presented below at this moment, the lines of words on it seemed to have turned into sharp blades, piercing straight into Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

The report stated that "craftsmen in the jewelry industry have a hard time making a living." These few short words caused ripples in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

His determination, which had been as firm as a rock, could not help but waver a little.

Zhu Yuanzhang also came from a poor family. He knew very well how much hardship and sweat the common people had to endure in order to have food to eat and make a living.

Although this policy was originally intended to curb the extravagant lifestyle, it has actually affected these innocent craftsmen.

They make a living honestly by relying on their skills.

However, due to this policy, they are now facing the dilemma of making a living.

Zhu Yuanzhang wondered in his heart whether this policy was indeed being implemented too hastily.
Should we make some adjustments to find a win-win solution?

How can we effectively curb the trend of extravagance and at the same time protect the livelihood of these people?

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was immersed in this deep thought, suddenly there was a slight noise outside the imperial study.

It was like the sound of a leaf falling to the ground, but it seemed particularly abrupt in the silent night.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly became alert, and his eyes, which were originally squinting, suddenly widened, as sharp as an eagle's eyes.

He stood up suddenly and shouted: "Who?!"

The sound echoed in the imperial study like a huge bell, causing the candle flame to sway slightly.

Mr. Song was hiding behind a bush of flowers. When he heard the angry shout, he felt his legs go weak and his heart almost jumped out of his throat.

He knew in his heart that he couldn't hide away.

If I don't show up at this moment, it would be a real crime of deceiving the emperor, and even if I had ten lives, they would not be enough to kill him.

Thinking of this, Mr. Song had no choice but to bite the bullet and slowly walk out from behind the flowers.

He fell to his knees with a plop. The sound of his knees hitting the ground was particularly crisp in the silent night.

Then Mr. Song kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty, I am a criminal who has nowhere else to go. I dared to disturb Your Majesty here. Please have mercy on me!"

As Mr. Song spoke, he raised his head, his face full of fear and pleading. Beads of sweat kept rolling down his forehead, soaking the ground in front of him.

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw that it was Mr. Song, he was shocked at first. How could Mr. Song appear here?

Then he frowned and said with an unhappy look: "Mr. Song, you are so brave!
How dare you sneak into the palace without permission? This is a crime of deceiving the emperor. Do you know your crime?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was so cold that it seemed to freeze the air in the imperial study.

Mr. Song was so frightened that his whole body was shaking, and the cold sweat on his forehead was even more intense.

He trembled and said, "Your Majesty, I am really concerned about the livelihood of the craftsmen in the jewelry industry.

Now that the policy has changed, business is difficult and the craftsmen are almost out of food.

I want to appeal to Your Majesty, but there are many obstacles in the palace.

I have no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

As Mr. Song spoke, he kept wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, looking extremely embarrassed.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, his eyes sharp as a torch, as he looked Mr. Song up and down.

Although he was angry, he also heard the helplessness and concern for the craftsmen in the other party's words.

Zhu Yuanzhang then slowly said, "Stand up and tell me the whole story.

If you tell even a single lie, I won't forgive you!"

Mr. Song stood up tremblingly and took a deep breath first.

As if to give himself courage, Mr. Song then began to describe in detail the current situation of the jewelry industry.

"Your Majesty, you don't know that the business of this jewelry store is so quiet nowadays.

In the past, it was bustling with people coming and going.

The luster of the jewels can light up the entire street.

But since this policy came out, customers don’t dare to buy jewelry easily, for fear of being accused of extravagance! "

As Mr. Song spoke, he gestured with his hands.

His face was full of sorrow and his eyes showed deep helplessness.

"Your Majesty, look at those craftsmen, they all make a living by this craft.

Now that they have lost their business, they are worried all day long and can barely make ends meet at home.

Many craftsmen were discussing that if they continued like this, they would have to change careers and do something else.

But what else can they do besides this skill? "

Mr. Song became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice began to tremble.

At this point, his eyes became red again, as if he could already see the difficult living scenes of those craftsmen emerging before his eyes.

"Your Majesty, the jewelry industry is not dispensable in our Ming Dynasty.

Ordinary people often use jewelry as gifts at weddings and funerals. This is our folk custom.

If the restrictions are too severe, it may damage folk customs and make people unhappy.

Moreover, if this industry continues to decline, all the jewelry craftsmen will be displaced, which will not be good for the stability of our Ming Dynasty."

When Mr. Song said this, his emotions were completely out of control.

He knelt down again with a plop, hugged Zhu Yuanzhang's legs with both hands, and begged: "Your Majesty, please have mercy and reconsider the relevant policies!"

(End of this chapter)