Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 367: Heaven and God take the blame!
"This is the truth."

"But very few dynasties can truly pass on their traditions."

"Perhaps Your Highness can do it, and the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty can do it, but what about after that?"

"Are other emperors so decisive in killing? Are they able to judge right from wrong, to distinguish truth from falsehood, and to judge the truth? Are they able to keep a clear mind and not be deceived or deceived by the ministers beside them?"

"That's hard to say."

"Once it is not enforced, officials will protect each other, and it will only become more and more difficult to proceed."

"In the end, we have to go back to the old path of sacrificing the car to save the king."

Xia Zhibai stood tall and ruthlessly tore apart Zhu Yuanzhang's ideal vision bit by bit. The idea was good, but it was difficult to execute. Not everyone was as decisive as Zhu Yuanzhang, nor did they have the ability to distinguish right from wrong like him. Zhu Yuanzhang's ability was forged in troubled times and was tempered by blood and tears, but other emperors of the Ming Dynasty did not have this.

Not only that, they are also very fragile and do not understand the current living conditions of the people.

At that time, the green onions purchased by the palace could be directly said to be worth several taels of silver. This has always been the practice in the royal families of all dynasties.

Moreover, these emperors had never been in society and did not understand the complexity of human nature. They were easily deceived by the people around them. If the people around them were far-sighted, it would be fine. But if they were all a group of flattering and sycophantic ministers, then the Ming Dynasty would probably go downhill.

Zhu Biao opened his mouth, but said nothing.

Li Jinglong also fell silent.

This was no longer a topic he could take up.

How could he judge the current emperor's thoughts?
Although, he also agreed with Xia Zhibai's statement, the policies of the Ming Dynasty had so many problems, so why could they operate normally? Wasn't it because of His Majesty's iron-fisted approach? He never showed mercy when it was time to kill people, and he was extremely cruel and merciless when he did it.

Your Majesty will kill them all, no matter if they are ministers who have made great contributions to the emperor or local officials who have embezzled money.

It was precisely because of this outrageous killing that the Ming Dynasty was able to maintain normal operations and have a steady stream of money to replenish it even when the finances were so stretched. In the last Guo Huan case, the court confiscated nearly 20 million in money and grain.

If it weren't for such generous financial and food support, Feng Sheng, Fu Youde and others would not have dared to clamor for sending troops to the Northeast.

But there are some things that can be done, but cannot be said directly.

Li Jinglong shrank his head, trying to disguise himself as a quail and hide carefully.

Xia Zhibai said: "I have said it long ago that each generation has its own things to do. Your Majesty's attempt to rely on one's own strength to establish a system for the world that will last for hundreds or thousands of years is not advisable in itself. If you insist on doing it your own way, it will only lead the Ming Dynasty astray."

"Confucianism advocates moderation, which means being tactful."

"There should also be some room in the system so that future generations can have room to operate, rather than just looking at the 'laws of our ancestors' and sighing in despair. The 'laws of our ancestors' can only set a general direction, but how can they even restrict the details of the regulations?"

“Won’t this become a shackle?”

"Emperors of all dynasties left their own shackles to their descendants. But have you ever considered whether the necks of future generations can bear so many shackles?"

"If the neck is twisted, or the head is guillotined, will it really be as the ancestors wished?"

Xia Zhibai shook his head.

He looked at Zhu Biao deeply and said faintly, "I'm afraid not."

"Everyone has a conceited side, and there are times when they think they are right. However, whether they are right or not should not be judged by themselves, but by history books and future generations. As the saying goes, true gold is not afraid of fire. If it is truly correct, it will still be correct even after thousands of years."

“If it’s wrong.”

“Even if the history books are revised over and over again, and officials are allowed to make false statements many times, they will still be denied by people after years of baptism.”

"What's real won't be fake, and what's fake won't be real." "You can't force it!"

"In my opinion, Your Highness has a knot in his heart that has not been resolved, and this knot will haunt Your Highness for the rest of his life."

Zhu Biao frowned and looked at Xia Zhibai in confusion, not understanding why Xia Zhibai turned to him again. He asked, "I wonder what is the knot in your eyes about me?"

He also showed some interest.

Xia Zhibai said: "Your Highness does not have the courage to surpass His Majesty!"

boom!
Zhu Biao's expression suddenly changed.

He looked at Xia Zhibai with horror, he didn't expect Xia Zhibai to say such outrageous words.

"shut up."

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Xia Zhibai sneered and said, "This is your highness' biggest problem. It is true that your highness may not have the ability to surpass His Majesty, but you don't even have the desire to do so. This means that your highness is destined to live in His Majesty's shadow for the rest of his life."

"I'm just curious, why did Your Highness refuse?"

"Why can't I adjust my mindset and face His Majesty as a challenger, or even surpass him!"

"If you don't even have the ambition to surpass others, even if you arrange many good ministers for Your Highness, how much effect can these people have in Your Highness's hands? It's just a matter of doing your job for the day. You should make the best use of people, but it also depends on how you use them."

"If a ruler who maintains the status quo is given Wei Huo, he will probably just stay at home idle. If he is given Du Ruhui or Fang Xuanling, they will probably just serve as officials."

"Your Highness, you must have been in and out of the military camp a lot over the years."

"We should understand the temperament of different military camps. Some generals have soldiers who are impatient, some are steady and cautious, and some are swift and resolute. All of this is due to the general in charge. If the soldiers are impetuous, the generals will be impetuous as well."

“The temperament of the leader determines the temperament of the entire army.”

“That’s what a leader does!”

"Everyone can look around and hesitate, except the emperor."

"Because everyone in the world is watching him to make a decision."

"If he becomes cowardly, then the rest of the world will follow suit and retreat. When a group of wolves are tamed into sheep, there will no longer be any blood and courage in the world. Such a world will be sad and pitiful."

"Your Highness, you are not ready to be a prince."

"Your desires are too small."

"Not even as good as your brothers."

"The King of Qin, the King of Jin, and the King of Yan have only just built themselves palaces. They have even made dragon robes and dragon beds privately. They are eyeing the throne covetously. Only Your Highness, who has a huge advantage, is still calculating all the pros and cons."

“When you are strong, you are strong.”

"If Your Highness does not show strong enough performance, how can you subdue these princes? How can you make these people convinced?"

"If you don't take what heaven gives you, you will suffer the consequences. If you don't act when the time comes, you will suffer the consequences!"

(End of this chapter)