Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 73 What kind of world do you want to pass on to future generations? (Subscribe)

"Xia Zhibai, you are so presumptuous. How can a child like you who is still wet behind the ears discuss the affairs of state?"

"Don't even mention that you haven't really been an official yet. Even if you really became an official, you are not qualified to make irresponsible comments on such a major national policy."

"Do you really think you are right? And everyone else is wrong?"

"National affairs concern the lives of the people of the world and the livelihoods of tens of millions of people in our Ming Dynasty. How can you just do it carelessly?"

"Ridiculous, how ridiculous."

"Your Majesty, I beg you to punish this lawless and arrogant person."

"I second the proposal."

"."

Outside the Fengtian Hall, a burst of angry rebukes was heard, not only from Li Shanchang, Zhao Mao, a group of ministers, but also from some scholars.

Everyone was scolding Xia Zhibai.

Many officials looked at Xia Zhibai with hostility and fear. Xia Zhibai's remarks today completely frightened them.

If it is really like what Xia Zhibai did, the court will definitely be in turmoil. When the court is in turmoil, power will inevitably be redistributed, which is something that all the ministers of the dynasty do not want to see or face.

They have worked hard for decades or even decades to get to this position. How can they just hand over the power in their hands like that?

Moreover, the situation in the world is changing so rapidly and so much, who can guarantee that they will be able to profit from it and not be eliminated?

No one likes variables.

Li Shanchang looked at Xia Zhibai with a gloomy face, his eyes full of contempt. At first, he really regarded Xia Zhibai as a threat, but after these words, he had realized it.

This is a fresh-headed young man.

He doesn't understand politics at all, let alone state affairs.

And too ambitious.

Without sufficient ability and power, one is destined to become a joke.

As for what he said, it is nonsense.

Since the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, how could workers, farmers and merchants participate in national affairs?
This is a retrograde action and will lead to self-destruction.

How could the Ming Dynasty do this?
Li Shanchang sneered and glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang imperceptibly, but he was a little doubtful. What was Zhu Yuanzhang's purpose in bringing up this person?

Do you really want to reform?

But this is impossible. How can a group of illiterate people govern the world? They simply don't have the ability to do so.

Guo Chong and Wu Gongda just felt their scalps tingling.

This Xia Zhibai is really arrogant. He even dares to deny the saints and even attempts to change the political landscape of the world. How can a subject do this?
This is courting death.

There was constant cursing in the field.

Some people even directly called him a spy of the Yuan Dynasty, who had evil intentions and intended to disrupt the Ming Dynasty's politics.

His heart can be killed.

Listening to all the scolding and accusations, Xia Zhibai remained calm.

He also knew that his words were like a bolt from the blue. One could imagine how shocked all the officials were and they would certainly be strongly opposed by them.

This time he just wanted to tell others that there is not only one way to govern the world, and there is not only one path to take.

We should keep pace with the times.

He bowed to the people around him and said, "I know that what I said is a bit bold."

"It's just that I don't think there's a problem. In fact, I have always had a question for Your Majesty and the ministers. I would like to ask what kind of world do you intend to hand over to future generations?"

"In the past hundred years, the world has been changing frequently. New things have been popping up like mushrooms after rain, and various long-standing problems have also been constantly emerging."

"Where should the world go?!"

"This should be a question that all Ming emperors and ministers should think about."

"Your Majesty is determined to drive out the Tartars and restore China."

"At that time, the Yuan people were barbaric and brutal, and did not know how to educate people. They abused the world and even classified the Han people as the fourth class of inferior people, who could be humiliated by everyone."

"After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Your Majesty has been trying to restore the Chinese system and clean up the remaining poison left by the Mongols. This inevitably returns to a very realistic problem."

"Take the old path or explore a new path."

"The disadvantages of the old road are obvious, but the advantages of the new road are unheard of."

“The road ahead is even more uncertain.”

"Therefore, Your Majesty has been trying to find experience and lessons from history and grope forward."

"But after a lot of trouble, the Ming emperor and his ministers all chose to follow the old path of 'following the ancient ways'."

“The common people recognize this but do not agree with it.”

"Because one thing that the Ming Dynasty cannot avoid is that it was established on the basis of the Yuan Dynasty. Simply erasing traces of the Yuan Dynasty will actually not be worth the cost."

"I think we should discard the dross, retain the essence, and then integrate it into the original Chinese system, so as to seek a path suitable for the present."

"Just like the previous evaluation of merchants, the world's judgment and understanding of merchants has changed a lot. Your Majesty has risen from an ordinary man to your current position, which has also given the world a refreshing understanding of the grassroots farmers."

"That's why I dare to speak so arrogantly."

“Shouting that the world has changed.”

"The era that belonged exclusively to scholars is over."

"The world will now enter an era of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans."

"The era of scholars enjoying a privileged position and one dominant family is slowly coming to an end. With the continuous improvement of technology and productivity, the knowledge mastered by the 'workers, farmers and merchants' that you all despise is constantly improving. One day, they will stand before you and say a few words to you."

"Saints love to talk nonsense the most."

“And the least pragmatic.”

"Returning to the basics may be the right path for the world to take in the future."

"I also admit that it is a bit abrupt to hastily upgrade the status of 'agriculture, industry and commerce', and it is likely to cause dissatisfaction among all parties."

"But from the Song Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, and then to the Ming Dynasty, over hundreds of years, the world has accumulated so many chronic diseases. If we do not think about reforming the old and establishing the new, if we do not think about reforming the law and governing the country, and still follow the old path of 'following the previous kings', and try to recreate the past glory, it is not practical at all."

“People’s hearts have changed.”

"From your majesty's rise to the improvement of the status of merchants in the Song Dynasty, it all proves that other classes are increasingly dissatisfied with their current social status." "They have been trying to find a breakthrough."

"Therefore, I, Xia Zhibai, make a bold prediction that the world is on the eve of change, and the status of agriculture, industry and commerce will continue to improve."

"Until scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans are completely united."

"The status is equal!"

Xia Zhibai bowed again.

But Zhu Yuanzhang was completely furious.

How to govern a country, he doesn't need Xia Zhibai to teach him? What qualifications does Xia Zhibai have? In the end, isn't it just to improve the status of businessmen?

But this is not possible.

He would never allow this to happen.

Moreover, farmers, craftsmen and other people from all walks of life should stay in their original positions and not have so many wild ideas.

This is not something they can think of.

This kind of inappropriate desire is the source of unrest in the governance of the world and must be eliminated.

Zhu Yuanzhang had a gloomy face.

We are ready to launch another wave of learning "The Great Edict" in the world, and the local people just need to abide by the law.

Don’t expect anything else!
"That's nonsense." Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him and shouted, "It's not your turn to comment on how we govern the country."

"That's not something you should consider."

"We consider that you have contributed many precious things to the Ming Dynasty, so we specially allow you to be placed at the top of the list of the imperial examination. We think you are a talent."

"But we in the Ming Dynasty have never lacked talents."

"We don't need people like you who are arrogant and look down on others. Do you really think that you know everything about the world just because you have read a little and seen a little bit of the world?"

"Which of our Ming ministers has seen less than you, or read less than you? Don't they understand the world better than you do?"

"What we are doing now is to get back to the original source."

"The people of the Yuan Dynasty committed atrocities and ravaged the land of China. To restore China is to cleanse away all the humiliation brought upon us by the Yuan Dynasty."

"China has been a country of etiquette since ancient times."

“A place for moral enlightenment.”

"And what you said about improving the status of other workers, farmers and merchants is putting the cart before the horse and is truly treasonous."

"His heart is to be killed!"

"The Song Dynasty only raised the status of merchants, but it weakened the country and caused it to be abused by the barbarians around it, and it ceded land and paid countless indemnities."

"You want us to follow suit?"

"I want us to go one step further."

"You are dissatisfied with the fact that our Ming Dynasty has firmly established its rule over the world, and you want to bring disaster to our Ming Dynasty. We will not fall for your trick."

"I won't let any loopholes go!"

"You asked me what kind of world I want to leave for future generations, so I'll tell you."

"What we leave to our descendants is a peaceful world where the people live and work in peace and contentment, everyone performs their duties, and everyone is loyal, filial, benevolent, and righteous."

"There are no hens crowing at dawn, and there are not so many ambitious people like you."

"What we want to build is a prosperous and stable world!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his arm, making no secret of his ambition.

"Your Majesty is wise."

"The Ming Dynasty will surely prosper for a long time."

"..."

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, all kinds of flattery and fawning voices rang out all around.

Xia Zhibai had a complicated expression.

He just looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and sighed secretly in his heart.

Other dynasties thought so too.

But now it has all turned into a handful of yellow earth.

He can understand.

After all, this is the empire he built with his own hands, so naturally he hopes that this world can last forever, but if he is always only willing to believe in what he wants to believe.

In the end, you will only go further and further away.

The general trend of the world is unstoppable and cannot be stopped by human power. If you follow the trend, you will prosper; if you go against the trend, you will perish.

Today's world is gradually moving towards an era of pioneering, enterprising and striving for excellence. Continuing to be complacent and stick to the rules will only lead to getting deeper and deeper into trouble.

Eventually trampled upon by the times.

Xia Zhibai said: "Your Majesty wishes to achieve great order in the world and long-term peace and stability in the world. I deeply admire you."

"Just for the sake of my subjects, I have to think again and again. Can the world really become like that? Can everything in the world really go as planned?"

"I beg to differ."

"Now I have three questions. I would like to ask Your Majesty to answer them for me."

Xia Zhibai bowed respectfully.

He just bowed his head and waited for Zhu Yuanzhang's response.

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes slightly, with a cold and hostile look in his eyes, and said coldly: "Xia Zhibai, my patience with you has run out."

"We advise you not to make mistakes!"

"Please grant my permission, Your Majesty." Xia Zhibai did not back down at all and still insisted.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Xia Zhibai intently, and suddenly laughed. His laugh was cold and a bit chilling: "Tell me!"

　The next two chapters are being coded...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)