Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 43 I’m back!

While the ugly scene was happening in Yingtian Prefecture, two ox carts were moving slowly on the dirt road from Kaifeng Prefecture to Yingtian Prefecture.

There were seven people in the ox cart.

It was Xia Zhibai and his group.

Xia Zhibai was wearing a grey shirt made of coarse cloth, with a lot of dirt on his body, making him look grey. The same was true for Hua Que'er and Hei Wa who were traveling with him.

Compared to last time.

The teenagers are very different now.

Their bodies were still thin, but there was light in their eyes. They would look towards the back of the ox cart from time to time, as if there was some treasure there.

To them.

This ox cart is carrying treasures.

Moreover, it is an incomparable and incredible treasure that is enough to shock the world.

At least it was the most incredible thing they had ever seen.

The load on the bullock cart would be very heavy.

So I walked very slowly.

Xia Zhibai was not in a hurry and did not urge the coachman. He calculated the time and thought that according to the current progress, he would be able to arrive in Yingtian Prefecture before the palace examination.

He did it on purpose.

As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment, and vice versa. Now Emperor Hongwu and Zhu Biao probably believe that they have escaped.

He actually expected it.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not trust scholars. In his eyes, scholars were a group of shameless people who talked about morality, righteousness, and the righteousness of the ruler and his subjects, but were thieves and prostitutes in secret, and were treacherous and only knew how to fight among themselves.

I don't know how to trust at all.

He was also unwilling to trust. Zhu Yuanzhang was always wary and cautious of scholars, and this concept was deeply rooted.

It's very difficult to change.

Xia Zhibai was also aware of this point. As the saying goes, a heavy hammer is needed to beat a drum, and strong medicine is needed to treat a serious illness. If one wants to change Zhu Yuanzhang's old and pedantic ideas, he must be given a big enough shock and impact.

Let him know he is wrong.

The scholars in the world are not just those who have an itchy scalp and the water is too cold. There are also many people who are determined to benefit the people, establish their minds for the world, establish their mission for the people, inherit the unique knowledge of the past sages, and create peace for all generations.

These scholars deserve respect.

After he left Yingtian Prefecture, he had heard some news and knew that this imperial examination was full of scandals, and that all of this was intentional by Zhu Yuanzhang.

It is to suppress and humiliate scholars.

They were made unable to raise their heads in front of the emperor, and then they were tamed and enslaved step by step, so that from then on the only voice in the world was that of the Zhu family emperor.

The conflict between him and Huang Zicheng and others had now been completely exploited and became the straw that broke the camel's back for Huang Zicheng and other scholars, making them feel ashamed and humiliated.

This is what Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to see.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang might not have expected that, to a certain extent, the chaos in Yingtian Prefecture was also what Xia Zhibai wanted to see.

The more proud and proud Zhu Yuanzhang is now, the greater the shock he will cause to Zhu Yuanzhang when he appears in front of him, and the greater the impact he will have on Zhu Yuanzhang.

Misfortune may bring blessing, and blessing may bring misfortune!
Xia Zhibai held a piece of wild grass in his mouth. The grass in March was green and tender, with a hint of sweetness, plenty of moisture, and a faint fragrance.

He looked at the driver and asked curiously, "Old man, what do you think of the current emperor?"

The driver, who was concentrating on driving, did not expect Xia Zhibai to ask this question. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "I don't understand these, but I have heard some things about the emperor."

"He has a hard life, but he is also a good emperor."

"The current emperor was born into a poor peasant family, but after becoming emperor, he also knew how to sympathize with the people. If I were not an emperor, I would not know how to make a living."

"Hello, Emperor."

Xia Zhibai nodded.

Most of the lower-class people recognized Zhu Yuanzhang.

He started with a bowl, but ended up ruling the country, recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, sweeping away the hundreds of years of decadence in the Central Plains, and ending the era when the barbarians went south and wantonly humiliated the Han people. This achievement truly rebuilt China.

It was with the emergence of Zhu Yuanzhang that the Central Plains, which had suffered from war for a long time, finally got a chance to recuperate, and the tragic days of the people being displaced and fleeing finally came to an end.

How can people not praise this?
Moreover, although Zhu Yuanzhang was an emperor, he still maintained a certain pragmatic style of a farmer. He did everything himself, worked day and night, and devoted himself to governing the country.

Sweep away the haze in the world.

Xia Zhibai asked again: "Then, father-in-law, has your life improved over the years?"

The father-in-law smiled bitterly and said, "It is a little better, but not much. Taxes are increased every year, but what can we do? It is better than the chaos and war before."

"Well, just being alive is enough."

Xia Zhibai said with emotion: "The new dynasty was just established, and the country had a lot of things to rebuild. Emperor Hongwu was in a high position, but he was still able to maintain a certain degree of practicality of a farmer. This is really rare and precious."

“It really benefits the people.”

"It's just that the benefits to the people are decreasing little by little over time. The Ming Dynasty has been established for more than ten years. It's time for everything to be renewed, but the Ming Dynasty has fallen into stagnation in all aspects."

"If the Hongwu Emperor could change his attitude and stop trying to control the world with high pressure, perhaps the people's lives would be much better."

The father-in-law shook his head.

He didn't continue the conversation.

He didn't know much about the emperor and didn't have the energy to care about those things. In this world, being able to support his family was good enough, and the rest had nothing to do with him.

Besides, governing the world is the emperor's job, and ordinary people like them should be lucky enough to live a good life.

Paying less taxes is a serious crime.

Xia Zhibai retracted his gaze, sat upright, looked straight ahead, his eyes became more and more determined, he had to make Zhu Yuanzhang lose once.

The Ming Dynasty was established only for more than a decade, and it should not have fallen into stagnation and pressure so quickly. The people should have hope and a future, rather than being numb.

Only lose.

Only then did Zhu Yuanzhang realize the problem.

Only then will he re-examine his judgment and governance of the world and have the possibility of changing the current world order.

Zhu Yuanzhang won too many times in the past.

You win so much that you feel everything you do is right, and you become incapable of listening to other people's opinions and suggestions.

Because he always makes the right choice.

Always win.

With this mentality, he gradually developed arrogance and conceit, believing that he was absolutely right and that other voices were rebellious.

They are all treasonous.

Zhu Yuanzhang was extremely conceited and would never admit that he had done anything wrong. He would only work harder to prove that he was right and then act on his own.

He can't be wrong.

The only ones who are wrong are others.

If someone dares to say that he is wrong, he will only use his own way to tell the world that he is not wrong and it is these people who are wrong.

They are deceiving the king.

They are challenging the emperor's authority.

And this time.

Xia Zhibai looked in the direction of Yingtian Prefecture. He wanted to tell Zhu Yuanzhang clearly that he was wrong, and very wrong.

Not only did he misjudge himself, he also misjudged the world situation and miscalculated the direction of the world.

The changes in the Ming Dynasty began with admitting mistakes.

Xia Zhibai looked up at the sky, a sneer flashed across the corner of his mouth: "Zhu Yuanzhang, I am afraid that I, Xia Zhibai, will disappoint you further this time."

"Because I'm back!!!"

(End of this chapter)