Jiajing Chengming

Chapter 270 Jiajing questioned the imperial teacher, who do you expect to be the next emperor?
"Could it be that all the dishes in the palace are not to your liking?"

"I asked the imperial chef to cook it according to your taste."

Seeing that Wang Ao was slow to pick up his chopsticks, Zhu Houcong asked a question.

Wang Ao stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. It's not that the banquet given by the Emperor is not to my liking. It's just that I am uneasy when I think about what happened today."

"What happened today? Tell me."

Zhu Houcong asked with a smile.

Wang Ao raised his head and looked at Zhu Houcong: "Your Majesty, can you cancel the system of observing customs and rectifying habits?"

"cannot!"

Zhu Houcong replied without hesitation.

then.

Zhu Houcong picked up some food and started eating, then said, "I can consider any other requests you make, but I don't even need to consider this one."

"But, Your Majesty, this system of observing customs and rectifying habits not only costs millions of silver dollars every year, but it also encourages scholars and people to make irresponsible comments on state affairs!"

"I am worried that if this continues, there will be too many and too different voices, which will lead to greater conflicts and even chaos in the world, affecting the long-term stability of the court."

Wang Ao replied.

"The feelings of the upper part reach those of the lower part, and the feelings of the lower part reach those of the upper part, and the upper and lower parts are one, so it is called 'Tai';"

"The feelings of the lower classes are blocked and cannot be heard by the upper classes. There is a gap between the upper and lower classes. Although there is a country, there is no country. This is called "no".

"If you make friends, you will be prosperous. If you don't make friends, you will be in trouble. This has been the case since ancient times."

At this time, Zhu Houcong began to recite an article.

Then, Zhu Houcong looked at Wang Ao and asked, "Do you know who wrote this article?"

Wang Ao was stunned, then he answered with red eyes: "It was the "Personal Government" that I presented to Your Majesty when Your Majesty sent the messenger Ke Weixiong to comfort me at the beginning of your reign."

"Yes, it's the 'Personal Government' that you wrote for me!"

Zhu Houcong replied.

Wang Ao's eyes were already filled with tears, and he said with a smile, "I didn't expect that Your Majesty would actually memorize it."

“Good articles should be kept in mind and put into practice.”

Zhu Houcong continued to eat his food while looking at Wang Ao who was standing respectfully opposite him, and smiled.

Wang Ao was even more moved after hearing this.

But then.

Zhu Houcong laughed again and said, "So, since you asked me, as a leader, to listen more to the opinions of the people below, why did you ask me to withdraw the envoys for observing customs and rectifying social practices, and not let them let the ministers in the court know about the situation below, and then let me know about it?"

"You said in your article that in the Tang and Yu dynasties, people were wise and intelligent, good words were spoken without hesitation, and there were no virtuous people left in the countryside. That's just the truth! Do you want me to be unable to be as wise as the Tang and Yu dynasties, and unable to be wise and intelligent?"

After Zhu Houcong asked this, Wang Ao knelt down hurriedly and said: "I am very terrified. I did not say that. I am glad to see Your Majesty listen to the opinions of the world!"

"However, I say this today only because I am worried that after the imperial court has the Observation and Rectification of Customs to encourage scholars and people throughout the country to speak out, they may not be able to satisfy their wishes in the future due to the limited benefits to the world, and instead become resentful!"

"As the saying goes, the people can be made to act, but not to know. Otherwise, once they know that their plight is caused by the power of the superiors, how can the common people still be willing to accept the rule of the court and endure poverty?"

"I know what you mean, but I am not afraid that after they speak out their desires, I will not be able to satisfy them and let them all live a prosperous life. They think that even if I am a saintly monarch, I can only prevent them from starving to death, but I cannot let them all live like human beings."

Zhu Houcong started talking, and when he got to this point, he looked at Wang Ao:
"But I am the Son of Heaven. According to the laws of nature, I am rich in the whole world. I not only own the territory within the four seas, but also the territory outside the four seas. I can develop the benefits of the world and make them benefit the people of the world inexhaustible."

"Your Majesty, as far as I know, the only newly developed gold mine is the Donglai Gold Mine. Do you really think there are other gold mines worth developing outside the four seas?"

"Those who are ambitious and aggressive, and those who are aggressive and aggressive, always cause more damage to the people's wealth, while those who are not stable will make the country more prosperous."

Wang Ao replied.

Zhu Houcong knew that he could not convince scholar-officials like Wang Ao, so he just said: "I have sent people out to look for it. Try to do this to solve the problem of too many people and too little land, and the increasing number of unproductive people such as relatives, nobles, bureaucrats and gentry. If this road is really a dead end, I will take the initiative to withdraw the envoys of observing customs and rectifying habits, and just be satisfied with not letting the people starve to death!"

After hearing this, Wang Ao could not help but say again: "In the past, the Yuan Dynasty expanded its territory by thousands of miles, but its national fortune did not last for more than a hundred years. Your Majesty's path has actually been proven before."

"I have to try it, too!"

"The previous method is wrong, it's too barbaric! I won't do that!"

"Moreover, if we don't try this way and set a more ambitious goal first, but are content with maintaining the status quo from the beginning, then we won't be able to open up our minds and ambitions, and many advanced new systems and new technologies that could have promoted food production and increased the number of acres of farmland will not appear!"

Zhu Houcong put down his chopsticks and spoke seriously, then waved his hand and said: "In short, don't worry too much. It's not that I don't regard the people as human beings and want to step on their corpses to expand my territory. If I really lose my mind and am too ambitious to take human lives seriously, it's not too late for you to persuade me!"

Wang Ao had no choice but to bow and agree.

"Let's eat."

Zhu Houcong then said this.

Wang Ao actually picked up the dishes next, but he still felt mixed emotions, so he didn't know whether the dishes he was eating were delicious or not. He just picked up some and chewed them in his mouth, while thinking deeply.

"Your Majesty!"

At that time, Qin Wen came over.

Zhu Houcong asked hurriedly: "What's the matter?"

Qin Wen whispered a few words into Zhu Houcong's ear.

After hearing this, Zhu Houcong originally wanted to have a "Cao Cao Rice Bowl", but then he thought better of it and just said in a deep voice: "Let him in!"

Seeing that Zhu Houcong was quite angry, Wang Ao couldn't help but look up.

Not long after, Wang Ao saw an officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in flying fish uniform walk in and kneel before the emperor.

The person who came was Zhang Tong.

Zhu Houcong then turned sideways to Zhang Tong and asked, "Did Liu Yinghuai really die suddenly?"

"Yes!"

Zhang Tong replied.

Zhu Houcong turned around and asked: "Has my imperial prison become a sieve? Is it so easy for the prisoners in there to die suddenly?"

"I am guilty!" Zhang Tong kowtowed again and replied.

Zhu Houcong pointed at Zhang Tong and said, "You are guilty!"

"Somebody come!"

Not long after.

Qin Wen came in again: "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

Zhu Houcong hurriedly said: "Drag Zhang Tong out and beat him to death!"

Qin Wen pretended to be surprised.

at that time.

Wang Ao was also greatly shocked and stood up quickly, saying, "Your Majesty, calm down. Zhang Tong is an old official of the palace after all. Killing him suddenly is not the act of a wise ruler!"

Zhu Houcong said: "I think they are so presumptuous because they take advantage of the fact that I dare not kill them!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

"Even the wisest man can make mistakes. The prisoner's sudden death is not necessarily their fault. There may be other reasons. If your Majesty's old man rashly kills him, it will make it easier for the villain to win over the attendants, which will be detrimental to the safety of your Majesty within ten steps!"

Wang Ao continued to persuade.

Zhu Houcong deliberately asked Zhang Tong to report when Wang Ao was having dinner with him, so after hearing what Wang Ao said, he nodded and said, "Your Excellency is right. I will do as you say. I will spare your death sentence, but you will be punished for your crimes. You will be demoted to the rank of Hundred Households of the East Factory, and Shi Baosheng, the Thousand Household, will be in charge and seal the Pacification Division!"

Qin Wen bowed and said yes.

Zhang Tong also bowed his head to express his gratitude and left.

"Continue eating."

Zhu Houcong said something to Wang Ao here.

"Yes!"

Wang Ao's expression when he looked at Zhu Houcong was even more complicated.

After the banquet and leaving the palace, Wang Ao was still full of thoughts.

"Mr. Yue!"

Xu Jin, who had been waiting at the palace gate, saw Wang Ao coming out and hurried forward to support him: "Can you tell me what happened to those stubborn people today?"

Wang Ao said: "Of course not!"

Xu Jin breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Did your Majesty mention the matter of changing from official to commercial?"

"nor."

Wang Ao smiled and replied, "Since this matter has become a hot topic, no one can ignore it anymore, so there is no need to mention it. Changes are a certainty!"

"What Mr. Yue said is true. What did Mr. Yue say to His Majesty?"

Xu Jin asked.

Wang Ao said, "I'm talking about dismissing the envoy who was in charge of observing customs and rectifying social practices."

Xu Jin immediately became interested and asked hurriedly, "What does your majesty say?"

"Your Majesty is still young and energetic!"

Wang Ao sighed at this time.

"Young and energetic."

Xu Jin complained inwardly, and asked with some disappointment: "So, Your Majesty is unwilling to do so."

"Your Majesty is extremely wise, but he seems to be very sure that he will find another gold mine like Donglai, and he is eager to strengthen the army and worship martial arts, and is unwilling to go near the Faxiao Temple!"

"I don't understand why His Majesty is so confident, but fortunately His Majesty promised that if he didn't have it, he would give up on his own initiative."

Wang Ao nodded and told his son-in-law about his doubts. Then he looked at Xu Jin and said, "In addition, Liu Yinghuai died suddenly in the imperial prison!"

"He died suddenly?"

Xu Jin was surprised and delighted.

Wang Ao nodded, "Your Majesty wanted to kill Zhang Tong for this, but I persuaded him not to! Your Majesty is very scheming, not as pure as the last emperor, and he deliberately tested me! I can't stay in the cabinet for a few more years, and you will be with him forever, so be careful and don't think too much about asking Your Majesty to reduce the heavy taxes in Jiangnan, let alone move the capital."

"But our great wish is to move the capital. The difficulty of grain transport and the heavy taxes in the south of the Yangtze River are all because the capital is in the north!"

After hearing this, Xu Jin couldn't help but say with some disappointment.

Wang Ao said: "Then we can only count on the next generation of emperor! All we need to do now is to let His Majesty see our loyalty first!"

……

……

"I have no other intentions, I just want to express my loyalty to Your Majesty!"

"So, I came to see Yuan Fu and reported to him that they wanted to unite with my Nanzhi Township Party and not supply goods to Yuan Fu's family in the future. They will only supply goods to Yuyao Wang Family, Jinxi Wang Family, and possibly Yuyao Xie Family."

Fei's house.

Xu Jie came to Fei's house that night and bowed to Fei Hong and started talking.

Fei Hong was surprised by Xu Jie's arrival, but not surprised by what Xu Jie said: "So, what are they going to do?"

"They planned to have their people start an uprising in Huai'an when the imperial court wanted to change the canal transport system, and cut off the canal transport system, in order to prove that commercial transport was unpopular and make the imperial court restore official transport!"

"In addition, they are in collusion with Zhang Tong from the Pacification Office!"

Xu Jie replied.

Fei Hong nodded and smiled, "You should not be doing this just to show your loyalty. Tell me the truth, why did you betray your fellow villagers?"

"I don't want to continue to suffer in the Hanlin Academy to gain experience!"

(End of this chapter)