Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 99 I have never seen such a shameless person!
At the Circular Mound in the southern suburbs, as the emperor uttered these words, all those present, civil and military officials alike, who had been listening intently to the emperor's edict of repentance, were all stunned and greatly shocked.

Then countless people suddenly looked up at the emperor.

But he was so shocked that he didn't bother to think too much about etiquette.

What did the emperor say?
The occurrence of astronomical phenomena such as solar eclipses is actually the result of collusion among officials and corruption and abuse of power?
Is this the emperor's edict of repentance?

Is this a confession of guilt?
This is clearly shifting the blame to the ministers!
By the way, it’s not like no one has ever thought that the emperor would come up with some new tricks when he issued the edict of repentance.

When the emperor issued the edict of repentance in Zhongdu City, he threw aside the written eulogy and admitted his mistakes in plain words.

It was very unethical for him to kneel down before the souls of the dead people and admit his mistakes.

This time, many people were prepared to listen to the emperor's plain and honest confession of guilt.

No matter whether it is plain words or not, as long as the emperor is issuing a self-criticism edict and admitting his mistakes, it is fine.

After the Zhongdu incident, the demands for the emperor to offer a self-criticism edict to the world were suddenly reduced a lot.

But who could have thought that even though the requirements had been lowered to this extent, the moment the emperor opened his mouth, he once again exceeded the limits of everyone's imagination of him!
I have never seen such a person who behaves so recklessly in this edict of self-criticism!

Liu Bowen was shocked, and all the doubts in his heart disappeared.

I know that the superiors will not bow their heads just like that. How could they really issue a confession of guilt and admit defeat just because of a mere solar eclipse and the instigation of these people?
The emperor can issue the edict of repentance on his own, but no one can force him to do so.

Now this sudden turn of events is indeed full of the strong personal style of the superior.

Li Shanchang sighed secretly. How could an emperor who was born out of bloodshed be so easily bullied?
After Dong Zhongshu came up with the theory of the connection between heaven and man, even Emperor Wu of Han could not contain it.

Isn't it ridiculous to want to use it to restrain the current emperor after more than a thousand years?
Even when he had gathered the power of officials from all over the world to put pressure on the emperor, he was still easily defeated by the emperor.

How could it be possible for these people to make the emperor surrender by using this mere astronomical phenomenon?

Such a heroic leader will not accept threats!

Thinking of this, Li Shanchang became more determined that he really needed to follow the emperor's footsteps.

There can't be any wavering!

"Your Majesty, this sacrificial speech is not in accordance with the norms and is seriously distorted. Please stop it!"

In the silence, Song Lian suddenly stepped out and spoke out to dissuade them.

When a figure like Song Lian spoke, some people were immediately encouraged.

He immediately followed and said, "Your Majesty has issued an edict of self-criticism. How can you, in front of heaven, shift the blame onto your subjects?

Isn't this the behavior of a sage king?
How can we hide it from Heaven?"

The person who spoke was Wang Kai, a doctor in the Ministry of Works.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned a deaf ear to the change in atmosphere and what these people said.

Maintaining the posture of greeting, he continued:
"Officials' moral misconduct has disrupted the harmony of heaven.

On behalf of my ministers and colleagues, I respectfully offer sacrifices of jade and silk to Heaven, and earnestly pray that Heaven will stop its wrath, eliminate disasters, and bless our Great Ming with eternal prosperity, peace and prosperity for the country, and safety for the people.

I hope you enjoy it!"

As Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, the whole room fell silent.

Only the breeze blows by, fluttering the corners of the flag.

Luo Guanzhong, the propaganda envoy who was specially called over to replace Wang Min, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, wrote with shining eyes, as if he was inspired by God!

He felt that Cao Cao's image had become more full-bodied, and what he would write in the future would definitely be more moving than before!
Crown Prince Zhu Biao was filled with anxiety and signaled to Song Lian several times with his eyes, asking his teacher to go back quickly.

But Song Lian seemed to have not seen it at all. He still stood there stubbornly, not moving.

Wang Kai, a doctor from the Ministry of Works, who was standing behind him, also stood still with his back straight.

I just feel that at this moment, I am shouldering the mission of a saint, speaking for officials all over the world and maintaining the orthodoxy of Confucianism.

It is an extremely righteous thing.

Imperial Censor Chen Ning quietly looked at Prime Minister Hu Weiyong with a questioning look.

Hu Weiyong shook his head imperceptibly.

Among the remaining ministers, many wanted to move and stand behind Song Lian.

However, thinking about the empty seal case that happened not long ago, those who followed Hu Weiyong were caught by the emperor in one fell swoop, and countless people were controlled by the emperor. In the end, he still held back.

Therefore, at this time, only Song Lian and Wang Kai stood out in the field, making them very conspicuous.

When Luo Guanzhong watched this scene, he couldn't help but think of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms he wrote. When Taishi Ci was going to capture Sun Ce, only a young general from Qu'a shouted loudly, "Taishi Ci is a true hero, I can help him."

And then the scene of him riding his horse and following Taishi Ci.

How similar is it to this moment?
Of course, it’s just about the matter, not the person.

Compared with the heroic spirit of Taishi Ci and others, the actions of Song Lian and Wang Kai at this time are truly shameful.

He speaks in a righteous manner, but who knows how many ulterior motives he has in secret.

That is to say, the current emperor, who is wise and brave, and a genius, holds a knife in his hand and dares to kill people.

Otherwise, there would definitely be more than just Song Lian and the other two people jumping out to question.

It will inevitably be a scene where cynics will rise up and attack.

There are bound to be some people who deliberately do such things to gain fame.

Fortunately, His Majesty really knows how to kill people, which can effectively prevent more such shameless people from appearing.

After meticulously completing the corresponding rituals, Zhu Yuanzhang turned around and walked step by step towards the edge of the Circular Mound.

Standing on the high platform, with his hands on the white marble railing, he looked down at the ministers.

He saw a wide range of emotions among the officials.

There is anger, shock, disbelief, humiliation, and the courage to be angry but not to speak out.

Some people have blank expressions, while others look excited and relieved.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze swept over everyone one by one.

His already tall and majestic figure now looked even taller and more majestic.

The atmosphere became more solemn.

His eyes fell on Song Lian and Wang Kai, who stood out from the crowd.

"What? Do you think what I said is wrong?

I don't think I was wrong.

Since we started the uprising, we have driven out the Tartars, restored China, established the Ming Dynasty, recovered our Han people's territory, and worked hard to reconcile the north and the south.

We will abolish the harsh policies of the late Yuan Dynasty, restore order, clarify laws, restrain civil officials and military generals, restore people's livelihood, and strengthen China.

Over the years, I have never slacked off.

In the eight years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, it has been visibly getting better.

Although there are still problems of this kind, it is only a matter of time.

For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and this country, we have worked hard and the results we have achieved are not bad.

Why does God use a solar eclipse to warn us?
Are we dealing with corrupt officials incorrectly?
Shouldn’t corrupt officials be killed?

Shouldn’t the provinces be abolished and the imperial court not concentrate power?
Or is it wrong for us to drive out the Tartars and restore China?

Shouldn't this change of fate be a sign of the numerous corrupt officials, shouldn't it be a sign of those who have ulterior motives, who have no regard for the country, for China, for the people of the world, for historical responsibility, and who only care about their own selfish interests?
You want me to issue a self-criticism edict? Cut off your mother's head!

We have never seen such a shameless person!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood on the Circular Mound, the place theoretically closest to heaven, and asked his soul-searching questions.

He said this with confidence.

Compared with the emperor himself, how could these despicable people have the face to blame him and ask him to issue a self-criticism edict?
Not to mention that after living in modern times for fifteen years, I know that there is no such thing as divine connection, and that solar eclipses are a normal phenomenon.

Even if there really was some divine connection, he still dared to say this today!
Luo Guanzhong's eyes were full of brilliance and his writing was moving swiftly.

When I write about Zhuge Liang scolding Wang Lang in the future, perhaps I can find some inspiration and learn from today's events.

Especially the last sentence. I have never seen such a shameless person. It is really exciting.

It must be written!
Among the ministers, many were shocked, and some even felt weak in the knees and wanted to kneel on the ground to admit their mistakes.

Who could have imagined that the emperor was so powerful that even a solar eclipse could not control him.

He actually dared to gather officials together and say such words during the sacrifice to heaven.

It turns out that after the solar eclipse occurred, even after the notice was revealed, the emperor did not deal with the matter immediately, not because he was hesitant or afraid.

Don't know what to do.

Rather, the emperor deliberately wanted to make the matter worse, and then launch such a powerful attack at this time!
"Your Majesty, some of what you said makes sense, but that's not how things are done.

Since Emperor Xiaowu of the Han Dynasty issued the Luntai Edict of Criticism, many emperors in history have issued edicts of Criticism.

It has always been a case of self-blame; no one has ever issued a self-blame edict on behalf of a minister."

In the silence, Song Lian spoke to break the silence.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Song Lian. It was really not easy to change the ideas of such an old-fashioned person who had been immersed in Confucianism for almost his entire life.

In the past, when conquering and governing the world, such people could be of help.

But when we move forward further, people represented by Song Lian can easily become obstacles.

Zhu Yuanzhang was about to speak when he heard a voice speak first.

"No emperor has ever done this before, so does that mean you can't do it now that you're on the throne?
Before Emperor Wu issued the Luntai Edict of Criticism, no emperor had ever issued a self-criticism edict.

Shangdi drove out the Tartars, restored China, and was the founder of the Ming Dynasty. In terms of achievements, how many wise rulers in ancient times could compare with Shangdi?

What's wrong with the higher-ups making some groundbreaking moves?"

However, it was Li Shanchang, the Duke of Korea, who stood out from the crowd and fired at Song Lian.

Given Song Lian's current status and influence among the literati, many people dare not confront him.

But Li Shanchang had no worries.

In terms of seniority, title, merit, and status, Song Lian could not compare to him.

Of course, the status he was referring to was not his status among Confucian scholars.

Now Li Shanchang is determined to make progress, so he will naturally not miss such a good opportunity.

"Moreover, the practice of natural disasters foreshadowing the mistakes of officials has existed since the time of Emperor Wu.

Since Emperor Wu, many prime ministers of the Han Dynasty were punished or even dismissed due to natural disasters.

Song Lian, as a great scholar of Confucianism and a learned person, how could you even know this?
Do you really not understand, or are you deliberately not understanding?"

Li Shanchang's question was really heartbreaking.

Li Shanchang, this old dog!

A dog with a broken spine is still barking here shamelessly!
Before Song Lian could react, Hu Weiyong had already started cursing in his heart.

I didn't say anything, why did this bastard drag me into this?
Hit Song Lian, hit Song Lian, why did you punch yourself twice?
Why am I so honest this time?

Apart from the huge benefits he has gained in the empty seal case, he is unwilling to get involved in any more trouble in the short term.

Another important reason is that they are afraid that people will bring up old events from the Han Dynasty, right?

Dong Zhongshu was also a waste. He wanted to use the theory of communication between heaven and man to restrain the emperor, but this trick was reversed by Emperor Wu of Han.

It is said that the Prime Minister is in charge of all officials and harmonizes yin and yang, but the natural disasters are caused by the Prime Minister's incompetence and dereliction of duty, isn't it?
The prime minister, not the emperor, should be held responsible for this.

He was so cautious because he was afraid that someone would dig these out and bring disaster to him as the prime minister.

The weapons that were supposed to be aimed at the emperor were directed at the prime minister instead.

I thought I could get through this time, but I didn't expect that Li Shanchang, that old dog who had a miserable death, would bring this matter up!
Hu Weiyong was very angry and kept cursing Li Shanchang's eighteen generations of ancestors.

"Your Majesty, the celestial warning is indeed due to the negligence of this Prime Minister. Please punish me and report it to the heavens."

Hu Weiyong stepped out and looked at the emperor with sincere apology.

My heart is bleeding when I say this.

He was really afraid that the emperor would take advantage of this opportunity to take away his position as prime minister.

He had just enjoyed the happiness of being the powerful prime minister for a few days!
But under the circumstances, Li Shanchang had already exposed the matter, and even if he didn't want to, he had to express his position.

"This matter has nothing to do with you. Just do your job as prime minister."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Hu Weiyong and spoke expressionlessly.

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the emperor really could not do without him.

After expressing gratitude, he returned to his original position.

He glanced at Li Shanchang without leaving a trace.

This old dog wants to drag himself down with this, but he's dreaming.

I am in the emperor's favor, and I won't be attacked by such shameless villains using such means.

"Your Majesty is the founding emperor, and it is not inappropriate for you to confess your sins to the heavens on behalf of your subjects.

But... the way to govern a country is to be flexible and tense.

The officials who follow Your Majesty are your helpers in governing the country, not bandits.

Simply killing and suppressing may not be very effective.

Only when hardness and softness complement each other, and yin and yang are in harmony, can things last long."

After a moment of silence, Song Lian spoke again.

However, it was no longer mentioned that the emperor could not apologize to God on behalf of his subjects.

Let’s talk about other aspects.

This is the benefit of being a founding father who fought his way to power.

Many things that later rulers were unable to accomplish could be accomplished relatively easily by the founding rulers.

And after this incident, the officials behind the Ming Dynasty could no longer use the theory of divine connection to restrain the emperor and seek their own interests.

After all, there are ancestral laws to refer to.

"This is a big fallacy!"

Li Shanchang shouted loudly.

“Officials are indeed His Majesty’s helpers, but those who break the law and take bribes are not helpers; they are thieves who betray the Emperor’s grace.

No matter how the superiors punish them, it is all justified and they deserve it!
Weren't those involved in the Empty Seal Case the first to betray the Emperor's grace?
Otherwise, why only punish them and not other officials?

Song Lian, what is your real intention in constantly speaking up for those who betrayed the Emperor's grace and committed corruption and abuse of power?

Li Shanchang is now truly a man of steel.

Even though Song Lian had a good temper, he could not bear it when Li Shanchang scolded him repeatedly and said hurtful words to him.

"Li Shanchang, stop accusing me and slandering me!

I'm talking about serious matters, stop distorting them!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang snorted and was about to speak in retaliation.

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke first: "Is Fang Xiaoru a student of Mr. Song?"

Song Lian nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I am indeed your student. He had previously come to me to intercede for his father and wanted me to save him.

I have requested an audience with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and learned that Your Majesty said that none of the officials involved in the empty seal case were wronged.

Even if he has made achievements in some areas, as the chief seal officer, he stamps on blank account books and allows people to fill in at will, which shows that he is not a good official.

I gave up this idea.

I am not saying this to excuse those people, but simply because I believe that governing a country cannot be about killing and slaughtering people."

Song Lian was very honest at this time and actually told everyone about his visit to Crown Prince Zhu Biao to plead for mercy.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "But Mr. Song's student doesn't think so. He wrote a petition overnight and posted it all over the city. I wonder if Mr. Song knows about this?"

When Song Lian heard this, his heart skipped a beat and his expression changed drastically.

Was it Fang Xiaoru who exposed the post?
This... isn't possible?

As a student, I have always attached great importance to etiquette and even more so to the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues.

Although the father is the leader of the son, there is also a king who is the leader of the ministers.

It is human nature to plead for one's father, but it is not necessary to attack the emperor and father, write an exposé, and directly call the emperor and father a tyrant.

Before, Song Lian was still wondering who was so cruel and crazy that he could do such a thing and say such crazy words.

Now he suddenly found out that this was actually done by the disciple he had high hopes for.

This news was truly shocking and had a huge impact on him.

"Your Majesty, did Fang Xiaoru really do such a thing?"

After a moment of daze, Song Lian asked anxiously.

It was even more anxious than being bombarded by Li Shanchang just now.

"Whether it's true or not, Mr. Song should ask it himself."

As soon as the voice fell, the Jinyiwei came with the man with his hands tied.

It was Fang Xiaoru.

After Fang Xiaoru was brought in, he saluted the emperor and his teacher Song Lian meticulously, and looked very respectful.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Fang Xiaoru and ignored him, while Song Lian came up to Fang Xiaoru.

He also ignored Fang Xiaoru's greeting.

"Did you do the exposing of the post?!"

He looked at Fang Xiaoru and shouted, his voice stern, completely devoid of his usual elegance and composure.

A pair of eyes, already somewhat cloudy, stared at Fang Xiaoru intently.

In addition to anger, there was also a lot of disbelief and some prayers.

He really didn't want to think that his students would do such a thing.

Fang Xiaoru's body trembled. He had never seen his teacher in this state.

I also know how much my teacher hopes to hear from me that I didn't do it.

But now that things have come to this, he has been captured by the Jinyiwei and brought to this place. What else is there to say?

Could it be that he wanted to deceive his teacher and make his teacher argue with the emperor for his lies, thus putting his teacher in an unjust position?
His legs went weak and he knelt down in front of Song Lian, his face full of shame.

"Teacher, I…I'm sorry for bringing shame upon you and me."

After saying that, he kowtowed to Song Lian repeatedly.

Song Lian's last bit of hope was completely shattered. Looking at Fang Xiaoru, his eyes were full of disappointment.

His whole body began to tremble.

After standing there for a while, he took two steps forward, grabbed Fang Xiaoru's hair, and slapped him hard several times.

Fang Xiaoru didn't dare to move and maintained a good posture to make it easier for the teacher to beat him.

"Are you sorry for me? You are sorry for His Majesty! Your father!

Who told you that you could do such a thing to your king and father?!"

Song Lian angrily scolded Fang Xiaoru with uncontrollable disappointment and heartache.

Li Shanchang, who was watching from the side, was very interested. He never thought that Old Song had such a side to him. It was really rare!
I really opened my eyes today, it was worth the trip.

You know what, although Old Song is old, he is still quite strong.

After beating Fang Xiaoru, Song Lian knelt down in front of Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Your Majesty, I have taught such a treacherous and evil person who has no respect for the king or his father. This is my fault. Please punish me."

His voice was heavy with sorrow, and he touched the ground with his forehead.

"Your Majesty, it was I who acted recklessly, and I, your teacher, was completely unaware of this. The blame lies with me, not you, your teacher.

Your Majesty, please punish me.

No matter what kind of punishment I receive, I will accept it willingly and without any complaints.

It’s really none of my business.”

Fang Xiaoru kowtowed repeatedly.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao could no longer stand there, so he came to Song Lian's side, knelt down in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, and pleaded for Song Lian.

Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed inwardly.

"One kind of rice can feed a hundred kinds of people. A master can lead you to the door, but the practice depends on yourself.

Fang Xiaoru's act of deceiving God was his personal behavior. What does it have to do with you as a teacher?
They are all students taught by you, so isn’t the prince particularly good?

Biao'er, help your teacher up."

Zhu Biao thanked him and supported Song Lian.

After expressing his gratitude, Song Lian stood up with the help of Zhu Biao.

Looking at Fang Xiaoru, who was kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down his face, he couldn't help but sigh heavily.

He didn't say anything else, shook his head, and returned to his original position.

For a moment, the only ones left here were Fang Xiaoru, who was kneeling on the ground, and Wang Kai, a doctor in the Ministry of Revenue, who had stepped forward earlier to stop the emperor from issuing a self-criticism edict on behalf of his ministers, saying that the emperor's actions were to shift the blame to his ministers.

Wang Kai is now very panicked and confused.

Song Lian went back just like that?

What about yourself?

What should I do?
Zhu Yuanzhang ignored Wang Kai and instead turned his attention to Fang Xiaoru.

Fang Xiaoru is a very famous person, and he is the legendary one who was executed along with his ten clans.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's impression, Fang Xiaoru was upright and old-fashioned, did things meticulously, and had good academic attainments.

In his previous life, his father Fang Keqin was also involved in the Empty Seal Case and was murdered, but he didn't cause too much trouble.

But after his father died, he started writing short essays.

He first asked his teacher Song Lian to write an epitaph for his father, and then gave Song Lian the "Biography of the Late Lord" he wrote himself.

Based on this, Song Lian wrote "Epitaph for the Late Mr. Fang of Yu'an".

Fang Keqin was portrayed as an absolutely honest official.

This also became a strong piece of favorable evidence for people in later generations to think that the Kongyin case was a false case and that too many innocent people were killed.

Fang Keqin has some abilities, and he admits that.

But the same thing goes, if he could stamp his seal on a blank document and let people fill it out at will and make false accounts, then his death was not unjust!

China has always had a tradition that the dead are greater.

Generally speaking, when writing eulogies or epitaphs, people only mention the good things and don't mention the bad things at all.

Not to mention, Fang Keqin is Fang Xiaoru's father, and Fang Xiaoru is an old-fashioned Confucian scholar.

Confucianism emphasizes protecting one's relatives.

When the father commits a crime, the son needs to cover up the crime for his father.

Under the guidance of this theory, many Confucian officials, when they encountered a case of an old man forcibly having an affair with his wife, would not punish the father for his beastly behavior, but would ask the son to expel his daughter-in-law and let the son keep the matter peaceful.

Under such circumstances, it goes without saying what the composition of the epitaph written by Song Lian, a teacher, for Fang Keqin was based on the materials provided by Fang Xiaoru.

I have started over in this life and many things have changed. Fang Xiaoru has also grown up and even dared to post such an exposé!

Originally, I didn't think about what to do to Fang Xiaoru. After all, in his previous life during the Jianwen Dynasty of Zhu Yunwen, Fang Xiaoru's actions were also to maintain orthodoxy.

But now, you insist on coming up and doing this kind of thing, so don't blame yourself.

"Fang Xiaoru deceived the emperor, spread exposés, and distorted the facts. His crimes are extremely serious and he deserves death!

He was beheaded at the same time as his father.

All members of the Fang family will be exiled, and their descendants will never be allowed to hold official positions, even if pardoned!"

Zhu Yuanzhang told about his punishment for Fang Xiaoru.

Fang Xiaoru collapsed to the ground upon hearing this.

For a man like him, the punishment of having his family members exiled and his descendants never being able to hold official positions was even more severe than having his entire family killed or even the entire clan exterminated.

Song Lian sighed and turned away, unwilling to watch Fang Xiaoru being dragged away.

After Zhu Yuanzhang dealt with Fang Xiaoru, his eyes fell on Wang Kai.

Wang Kai trembled, hesitated for a long time, and then knelt down.

"Your Majesty, I was wrong. I didn't realize the true meaning of the change in the heavens before, and I spoke without thinking..."

Zhu Yuanzhang showed disdain on his face.

If Wang Kai could continue to be tough, he would still look up to him.

As a result, this guy just knelt down. This kind of behavior is really shameful.

“You know you’re wrong?

Do you know you are wrong?
You want to follow Mr. Song and take the opportunity to gain some fame.

Now that you see that something is wrong, you panic and you know you are wrong.

People like you are sanctimonious, full of talk about benevolence, morality, and the interests of family and country, and you always talk about the people of the world. But in fact, you are extremely hypocritical and you only have your own calculations.

We despise such bastards the most.

Come and die with us!
Where are the guards? Take them down with us and beat them to death, and sacrifice them to the heavens!"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even bother to look at Wang Kai.

If you want to use yourself to improve your reputation, then go to hell.

Do you really think you are inferior to those unworthy descendants?

Immediately, a soldier stepped forward and dragged Wang Kai, who had completely collapsed on the ground, away.

A long watermark was left on the ground.

It turned out that this loyal man who had stepped out proudly and stopped the emperor not long ago was scared to death.

A moment later, the sound of sticks smashing and screams could be heard faintly, but they quickly disappeared.

The more than 500 civil and military officials at the Circular Mound became increasingly solemn.

Many people were feeling fortunate that they had not acted rashly and followed Wang Kai's example and followed Song Lian in opposing the emperor.

Otherwise, their fate will probably be the same as Wang Kai's.

After all, they don't have a good disciple like His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

"There are still many things to do in the Ming Dynasty. It is not enough to just establish a country.

You can relax now.

The task is still heavy and the challenges are still great.

The remnants of the Yuan Dynasty had not yet been destroyed, and the northeast and southwest were occupied by the Tatars, leaving the Han territory incomplete.

If the Yellow River is not managed, it will inevitably overflow during major floods, turning fertile land into swamps and making people become fish and turtles.

Although we drove out the Tartars and restored China, the north had been occupied by the Tartars for too long.

Economic, cultural, environmental, and historical prejudices exist.

The division between the North and the South and the confrontation remain serious.

The people are not rich, and every year a large number of them become displaced and homeless due to disasters, and some even lose their families and even their lives.

Our Ming Dynasty is still very far away from the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, the reign of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty, and the Kaiyuan Prosperity. We have a long way to go..."

Standing on the high platform of the Circular Mound, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the many officials and spoke.

The voice seemed heavy.

"I have thought a lot about the Ming Dynasty, and I really want it to get better, for China to be revitalized, and for it to take off again.

I have a dream. I think that one day, the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty will be destroyed and there will be no more threats from the north.

All the ancestral lands of the Chinese people in the northeast and southwest will return to China and we will take back the things of our ancestors.

I have a dream. I think that one day the turbulent evil dragon of the Yellow River can be restrained.

This great river that gave birth to our Chinese civilization can once again become a gentle mother.

The river flows quietly, the earth is bathed in the sunset, and the endless flow of Yellow River water irrigates the farmland, allowing the crops to thrive.

I have a dream. I dream that one day, my Ming Dynasty will be completely integrated and the division between the north and the south will no longer exist.

The Chinese people, who share the same roots and origins, are no longer distinguishable from each other.

There are no southern barbarians, no northern barbarians, only the Chinese people who are one family.

I have a dream. I dream that one day, the people of our Ming Dynasty, no matter whether they are rich or poor, even the lowest class who have lost their ability to work, will be able to have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place, no matter how simple, that can shelter them from the wind and rain.

In our Ming Dynasty, everyone can have enough to eat. No longer will countless people be displaced and die in disasters every time there is a disaster!

I have a dream. I dream that one day, the Ming Dynasty will have a clean and honest government, officials will no longer be high and mighty, they will be able to work sincerely for the people, and the officials and the people will be as close as one family.

Officials can work hard for the development of the Ming Dynasty, and they are united in their thoughts, ideas, and actions, all of which are about how to make the Ming Dynasty prosperous, how the people can live and work in peace and contentment, and how China can take off!

I have a dream. I dream that one day, my Ming Dynasty will be able to defeat the powerful Han Dynasty and surpass the prosperous Tang Dynasty!
It can attract all nations to come and become a beacon for the entire world, a place they dream of seeing.

"It makes every Chinese person stand up straight when they mention the Ming Dynasty, and a sense of pride surges in everyone's heart!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice gradually became more passionate, and with the blessing of the Circular Mound, it echoed in this place closest to heaven.

Zhu Biao's eyes lit up, Liu Bowen straightened his back, and Song Lian opened his mouth slightly.

Li Shanchang was shocked, Xue Xiang was full of fighting spirit, but some people were also nervous.

The already quiet Circular Mound became even quieter, and even the wind seemed to have stopped at some point.

Between heaven and earth, only Zhu Yuanzhang's voice echoed.

“We know that none of these things are easy to accomplish.

Many of them are even more difficult than conquering an empire.

The road ahead is full of thorns.

If you are not careful, you will be covered with bruises or even broken into pieces!

But, what can we do?
Nothing is difficult in the world, as long as you are willing to climb!
What I am saying today is to tell you that we are ready to do this with the same determination and energy as when we conquered the world.

I also hope that you can join me in showing the same spirit and mentality as when we conquered the world, declare war on these difficulties, and launch an offensive.

Overcome these difficulties and obstacles and win each tough battle!
I have a poem here, and I want to share it with you all today."

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, stood on the Circular Mound, looked at his ministers and spoke:

"The west wind is strong, the geese are calling in the sky, and the frosty morning moon is shining.

Frosty morning moon, the sound of horse hooves and the muffled sound of trumpets.

Xiongguan Mandao is really like iron, and now it has started from scratch.

From the beginning, the mountains are like the sea, and the setting sun is like blood. "

(End of this chapter)