Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 302: In the hearts of the people, the great edict is not worth it!

Inside the palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the high platform.

Looking at Xia Zhibai, who looked weathered, he said indifferently, "We asked you to deal with the kitchen owner's affairs in the south. Now the kitchen owner's affairs have not been completely resolved. What's the point of you coming back early?"

Xia Zhibai bowed and said, "I pay my respects to Your Majesty."

"I came back because I have something more important to report."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and said, "What is it that can't be said in the memorial? Why do you have to come back in person?"

Xia Zhibai smiled faintly and took out the book from his sleeve.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

He glanced at Pu Gou'er. Pu Gou'er had been with Zhu Yuanzhang for many years, so he naturally knew what Zhu Yuanzhang was thinking. He took a few quick steps, went to Xia Zhibai, took the "book" in his hand, briefly checked it, and then respectfully presented it to Zhu Yuanzhang's desk.

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw the big words on the book, he was stunned.

Then, he smiled, reached out and picked up the "Great Edict", and said with a smile: "This is the "Great Edict" I wrote myself. Show me this "Great Edict". What does it mean?"

"I know the contents of the Great Edict better than you do."

Xia Zhibai shook his head.

He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please take a closer look."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, not quite understanding what Xia Zhibai meant, but he still read it patiently. After just a few glances, he realized something was wrong and said with displeasure, "Whose Great Edict is this? How come it has become so thin? Our Great Edict is much more than this."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked angry.

He attached great importance to the "Great Edict".

This is what he used to educate the world.

In order to promote "The Great Edict" over the years, he spent a lot of money and grain, mobilized a large number of officials, and even stipulated that those who could not recite the content of "The Great Edict" would be punished. It was precisely based on this that his "The Great Edict" became a household name just a few years after it was printed, and the people were familiar with it and could even recite it backwards.

Now someone actually dares to tear it up, which is simply challenging the Supreme Being.

court death!

Xia Zhibai shook his head again.

He said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the content of the Great Edict is not missing."

"Nonsense!" Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows and snorted, "I wrote the Great Edict myself, how could I not know what's in it? If I say it's missing, it's missing, and it's missing a lot."

"Tell us."

"Where did you get this?"

"Let's see who has the guts to omit words from the book we wrote."

"This is really unreasonable!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was really angry.

In his philosophy of governing the country, "The Great Edict" occupies a very important part. What he wants is to rely on "The Great Edict" to make the people accept his ruling philosophy, and then let "The Great Edict" in turn supervise the future emperors of the Ming Dynasty, so that his governance system can continue forever.

But now.

When he was still alive, some people no longer took the "Great Edict" seriously and even openly deleted parts of it. This made Zhu Yuanzhang a little panicked. Wouldn't it be true that after he died, no one would take the "Great Edict" seriously?

"Say!"

"We'll let you talk."

"Tell me everything you know."

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Xia Zhibai angrily and demanded that Xia Zhibai tell the whole truth.

Xia Zhibai was very calm and said in a serious tone: "Your Majesty guessed wrong. This is not the Great Edict of one person."

"This is the Great Edict for all people in the world."

"During my time in the south, I specially sent people to collect some. This is the content of the Great Edict that the people of the whole south still remember. As for the others, no one remembers them. Even now, there is an inexplicable trend in the world."

"De-Zhuization."

"The world is gradually being wiped out, your Majesty's influence on the world." "This is terrible, but it is also very real."

“And it really happened.”

"Your Majesty wants to rely on the Great Edict to educate the people day after day, so that the people will regard it as the golden law, or even the 'imperial sword'. However, little do you know that everyone in the world, from the kings and ministers to the common people, does not accept your Majesty's 'education'."

"That's why your majesty is so angry."

"It's just that while Your Majesty is still here, some people dare not take Your Majesty's words to heart. But Your Majesty, can you think about it again? If this "Great Edict" is really that good, would the people really not praise it to the sky?"

“That’s why it’s not in the sky.”

"But in the hearts of the people, the Great Edict is not worth it."

One word fell.

Pu Gou'er's face in the hall changed drastically.

He looked at Xia Zhibai in horror, feeling uneasy inside. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, quickly bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, and ran out of the hall as if escaping. He was really frightened by Xia Zhibai.

Why do you do this as soon as you come back?

Isn't this going to scare people to death?
When they got outside the palace, Pu Gou'er's face still hadn't recovered.

He drove away the servants beside him, looked into the hall with lingering fear, then seemed to think of something, whispered a few words to a young eunuch outside the palace, and continued to guard outside the palace.

He doesn't know.

Xia Zhibai came back to cause trouble.

And it is Your Majesty who is making things difficult.

Only His Highness can save the situation now.

"Not worth it?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, his eyes already bloodshot. He stared at Xia Zhibai and said coldly, "We are the emperor. If we say that the Great Edict is worth it, then it is worth it. What do the people know? How can they know whether it is worth it or not? We say that the Great Edict is worth it!"

Xia Zhibai looked at Zhu Yuanzhang head-on and said calmly, "Justice is in the hearts of the people."

"The people have a scale in their hearts and will weigh good and bad for themselves."

"Your Majesty, you want to force the people to believe by force, but this is impossible, and no one can do it."

"Even if you say you accept it, you will definitely not accept it in your heart."

"At first glance, the Great Edict makes sense, but if you look closely, it doesn't stand up to scrutiny, because the people obey the law, not the Great Edict, and the content of the Great Edict cannot be a weapon for the people to protect themselves, but only a tool to harm them."

"and"

"The contents of the Great Edict do not have much of a deterrent effect."

"In today's environment, it is useless to try to curb corruption through high pressure or personal moral cultivation."

"Your Majesty has been on the throne for nearly twenty years. Have you noticed one thing?"

"It's just that the ministers who followed your majesty to conquer the world have changed."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face changed.

Xia Zhibai sighed and continued, "In fact, they haven't changed. It's just that they have gone from being insignificant in the past to becoming high-ranking officials. Since they are high-ranking officials, princes and nobles, they naturally have to protect the interests and rights of officials. This is human instinct."

"Your Majesty, you want to make them stop by drawing some lines and setting some standards. This is simply wishful thinking."

“The vested interests of corruption are too attractive.”

“No one can control it.”

"Even His Majesty himself could not resist."

"In today's world, money means status, it represents the level of enjoyment and everything."

"Although verbally, no one will admit it."

“But in reality, everyone knows it.”

"Your Majesty, how is it possible that you can change the minds of the people of the world with just this booklet?"

(End of this chapter)