My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 43 The Hidden Line of History (Please Order First)
General Xu Da, the conqueror, first discovered the tripod and then easily conquered the Yuan capital.

Who would believe that the two have nothing to do with each other?

Baoding must be no simple matter.

As for the identity of this tripod...is there a possibility that it is the Yuwang Tripod?

then……

Many people have raised questions.

What is the Yuwang Ding?
Thus, a small-scale history popularization campaign was launched everywhere.

The content is about how Dayu cast the Nine Cauldrons to rule the world, and how the Nine Cauldrons were circulated during the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties.

Stories including the battle for the Central Plains were also popularized.

In a word, the Nine Cauldrons of King Yu are a symbol of destiny.

While popularizing science, another concept was also conveyed unconsciously.

The Ming Dynasty first obtained the tripod and then successfully captured the Yuan capital.

There is only one possibility, this is the Yuwang Ding.

The news that the precious tripod was the Yuwang tripod spread quickly throughout Yingtian.

Along with the news of the Ming army's conquest of Yuan Dadu, it spread to all corners of the world.

When Song Lian and Li Shanchang heard this rumor, they suddenly realized it.

I finally understood the emperor's true purpose.

The influence of the tripod used by the Shang king for offering sacrifices to heaven was limited, but the tripod of King Yu was different.

If this thing is used properly, the effect will be the same as the imperial seal.

But there was no joy on their faces, instead they were full of worry.

Things have come to this point, how will it end?

If he had been careful, Zhu Yuanzhang would have become a laughing stock and even been ridiculed by future generations.

It’s just that Song Lian was simply worried, while Li Shanchang was worried but also felt a bit gloating.

You can even think of such a stupid move. The Ming Dynasty cannot survive without me.

Zhu Yuanzhang, I told you that you will regret it.

I'm waiting for you to beg me.
-
Controversy is naturally inevitable, as the Yuwang Ding is a legend from many years ago.

It is not known whether it is true or not.

What's more, even if the Nine Cauldrons of King Yu really exist, how can we prove that the precious tripod obtained by the Ming Dynasty is the Cauldron of King Yu?
You know, after Qin destroyed Zhou, the tripod was transported to Xianyang, and then it disappeared.

Although a tripod accidentally fell into the river and disappeared along the way.

But it is impossible for it to appear in Anyang County, Zhangde Prefecture.

How does the saying go? There are great scholars who will debate for me.

Those who support that the tripod is the Yuwang Ding will naturally find various reasons to refute the other side.

It is possible that the Zhou royal family had a premonition of destruction and hid one or two tripods, and the ones taken away by the Qin Dynasty were not necessarily the real ones.

It is also possible that someone else secretly took it away.

Or maybe someone got it after the fall of the Qin Dynasty and transported it to Zhangde Prefecture.

Moreover, in history, the Yellow River passed through Zhangde Prefecture for a long time. Perhaps the precious tripod that fell into the water that year was washed back to its homeland by the Yellow River.

In a nutshell, the loss of the Nine Cauldrons occurred more than a thousand years ago, and no one knows the truth.

You can imagine whatever you want.

What's more, anything can happen in these thousand years.

But the real key to this matter is not which side has more sufficient evidence, but which one the people of the world are willing to believe.

There were decades of turmoil at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, with all industries declining and people living in dire straits.

People all over the world have long been tired of chaos and are eager to restore unity.

The Ming Dynasty has already shown the momentum to unify the world, and people all over the world are placing their hopes on it.

Everyone naturally wants to believe that the tripod is the Yuwang Ding.

The reappearance of the Yuwang Ding, which had disappeared for more than a thousand years, represented that the Mandate of Heaven had come to the Ming Dynasty.

The world will be unified again in the hands of the Ming Dynasty.

With the arrival of the Ming Dynasty, there will be peace and good days will come.

Expectations for the future led countless people to make a choice, and then they began to spread the news everywhere.

At this time, some Confucian scholars joined the battlefield again, including some great Confucian scholars.

They did not enter as opponents, but supported the fact that the tripod was the Yuwang Tripod.

Many people don’t understand. Do you believe this kind of thing?

Naturally, they don't believe it, and they do this for the sake of doctrine.

The Mandate of Heaven is the most important means for Confucianism to restrict the monarch.

They hoped to strengthen the symbol of destiny on the Ming Dynasty in order to restrict Zhu Yuanzhang.

But this does not mean that they are villains who want to seize power.

Many people simply hope to use this to limit the monarch's power and prevent him from doing whatever he wants.

In any case, the entry of Confucian scholars completely set the main tone.

The precious tripod is the Yuwang Ding.

Now the dignitaries finally couldn't sit still anymore. Could it really be the Yuwang Ding?
Some people began to submit petitions to the emperor, requesting him to confirm the identity of the tripod as soon as possible.

With someone taking the lead, more and more people submitted petitions.

In fact, someone had previously submitted a petition, hoping that someone would be sent to check on the tripod, confirm its identity as soon as possible, and quell the rumors.

They were all rejected by Zhu Yuanzhang for various reasons.

In the eyes of many people, this is a sign of guilty conscience, and therefore they are certain that the tripod is fake.

This time everyone thought he would refuse again and was ready to continue fighting.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the memorial was submitted, Zhu Yuanzhang approved it directly.

agree.

He also took the initiative to suggest that the ministers find someone who knows about antiques to check it themselves.

The ministers were very surprised. Why did the emperor agree so readily?

Could it be that something happened that we don’t know about?

But it doesn’t matter. The tripod is right there. What is real cannot be fake, and what is fake cannot be real.

No matter what the emperor's plans are, all we have to do is hold on to the tripod.

So all the ministers mobilized their abilities and looked for knowledgeable people to appraise the tripod.

In the end, dozens of experts came.

It is impossible for so many people to fit in, otherwise what would become of the palace?

Zhu Yuanzhang also gave a reply, allowing only nine people to conduct the appraisal.

As for who these nine people are, you can decide for yourselves.

The ministers did not think that there was anything wrong with Zhu Yuanzhang's regulations. Rather, they thought that they were somewhat abnormal in their openness.

These experts first conducted an internal competition and finally determined nine places.

On an auspicious day, the ministers and nine treasure appraisers entered the palace together and saw the legendary tripod in the Huagai Hall.

You know, Huagai Hall is where Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne.

Placing the tripod here shows how much he values ​​it.

At this time, the Huagai Palace was surrounded tightly by three layers of guards inside and outside.

The interior of the hall is also solemn and dignified.

Four brass incense burners were emitting wisps of green smoke, sending the aroma of sandalwood into everyone's nostrils.

No matter what everyone thought in their hearts, after entering the Huagai Hall, they were influenced by the atmosphere here and became extremely cautious.

I also felt a sense of awe towards the big tripod out of nowhere.

Looking at it again now, the originally simple and ancient tripod actually has a bit more extraordinary.

With so many civil and military officials, naturally not all of them could enter the main hall.

Finally, Li Shanchang and Song Lian led the way, bringing more than a dozen high-ranking officials into the hall to serve as witnesses.

Looking at this huge tripod, Song Lian felt extremely complicated.

He hadn't expected that things would come to this point.

In his opinion, this is pure evil.

The Ming Dynasty was already on the verge of unifying the world, so there was no need to make a fuss about a huge tripod.

But he also knew that he must not expose this matter.

Not only can we not expose it, we must also help cover it up.

Otherwise, once the matter is exposed, the backlash will make the Ming Dynasty pay a heavy price.

And this is something he doesn't want to see.

Li Shanchang began to become suspicious. The emperor made such a big fuss about it, could it be that there really is something behind this tripod?

Otherwise, how would you dare to let people come to check?
Now he was feeling very complicated. He wanted the tripod to be fake so that he could make fun of Zhu Yuanzhang.

I also hope that it is true, so that the unification of the Ming Dynasty can be smoother.

Unconsciously, he began to feel twisted inside.

Led by the eunuchs and watched by countless pairs of eyes, the nine treasure appraisers came to the big tripod.

I just circled the cauldron a few times, but naturally gained nothing.

Counterfeiting has existed since ancient times, and you can't tell anything just by looking at it with your eyes.

But no one dared to ask to touch the tripod.

Just when everyone felt helpless, the eunuch who led the way said:

"His Majesty has decreed that you may touch the precious tripod. Gentlemen, please be careful not to damage it."

Not only were they allowed to touch it, they even prepared some knives so that they could scrape off some dust and dirt from the tripod for research.

The treasure appraisal experts all praised Your Majesty's wisdom.

So a group of people began to study the cauldron carefully and finally came to a conclusion.

This tripod is indeed an ancient one, and has been buried underground for at least a thousand years.

Based on the specifications of the tripod and the coiled dragon and taotie patterns on its exterior, it can be determined that this is the royal tripod.

As for which dynasty the royal tripod belongs to, it is impossible to tell.

After all, there is no inscription, and it is difficult to tell its true origin based on its appearance alone.

Li Shanchang and Song Lian were both relieved by the result. As long as they were not exposed, it was good.

At the same time, they also understood why the emperor dared to send people to investigate. He must have been sure that they would not find anything.

If it cannot be verified, it also means it cannot be falsified.

I'm afraid that after today, even if the two of them stand up and say that this tripod is fake, no one will believe it.

When the ministers heard the results of the appraisal, they were naturally disappointed.

I came here with high expectations, but I didn't expect that I still couldn't give an accurate result.

The news quickly spread outside the palace, and people all over the world who had been eagerly waiting were disappointed.

A more heated debate then broke out.

Those who supported the Baoding faction in the past were actually very nervous.

What if the final appraisal turns out to be wrong?
Therefore, when arguing with the opposition, one is always restrained.

Now this worry is gone.

All nine experts said that this tripod has a history of at least one thousand years and is a royal tripod.

Then it is more likely that it is the Yuwang Ding.

The key point is that if it cannot be falsified, then we can still say whatever we want.

Don't agree? Come and bite me.

The opposition is really dissatisfied, but there is nothing they can do.

They also wanted to find the officials who were present at the time and ask them to come out and testify that the precious tripod was not necessarily the Yuwang Ding.

However, no one dared to say such words.

Not to mention saying it publicly, even in private everyone keeps their mouths shut.

When asked urgently, I could only say one thing: It cannot be denied that it is the Yuwang Ding.

This does not sound like a question, but rather an admission that the tripod is the Yuwang Ding.

Moreover, the story of treasure appraisal changed as it was passed around.

The normal version is this:
The ministers selected the most powerful treasure appraiser in the world and sent him to the palace to identify the origin of the precious tripod.

Finally, everyone agreed that this tripod was the Yuwang Tripod.

There is also a legendary version:

One of them refused to admit that it was the Yuwang Ding, and soon afterwards his entire family was punished by heaven.

He described it with such detail that he even mentioned the names of the people in the family. It was impossible not to believe him.

In short, after this treasure appraisal operation.

Although at the official level, the identity of Baoding is still uncertain.

But the public has come to the conclusion that the tripod is the Yuwang Ding.

As the chief operator, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled proudly.

If he was not absolutely sure, how could he dare to let his ministers inspect the tripod.

Although Ma Yu initially said that it would take ten or eight years for others to tell the truth from the false.

But how could Zhu Yuanzhang easily believe his words?

He secretly hired a lot of people to check, and even hired several tomb raiders.

After a comprehensive examination, these people were unable to give an accurate result.

In this way, Zhu Yuanzhang finally felt relieved and carried out this public inspection.

The subsequent development of the matter was also completely in his plan.

It can be said that the Baoding Project has been successful at this point.

However, the matter was not really over. In the next few years, he would send people to carefully guard the tripod and not let anyone get close to it.

It will only be considered truly completed after the tripod is melted and recast.

By then, even if Ma Yu, Song Lian and Li Shanchang, the three insiders, came forward together to say that the tripod was fake, no one in the world would believe it.

The truth is not necessarily the truth. Only the truth that is accepted by everyone is the real truth.

Zhu Yuanzhang understood this principle a long time ago.

The Baoding Plan came to an end, Zhu Yuanzhang relaxed, and finally decided to set off for Yuan Dadu.
-
After witnessing the entire process of the Baoding Plan, Ma Yu felt very proud.

Tsk, I’ve fooled everyone in the world. As a time traveler, I’ve done a pretty good job.

The reason why I didn’t achieve anything in my previous life was not because I was incompetent, but because there was something wrong with society and it didn’t give me any opportunities.

And it was at this time that Empress Ma sent a eunuch to summon him into the palace.

Although he didn't say the reason, Ma Yu immediately changed his clothes and followed the eunuch to Kunning Palace.

In addition to Empress Ma, as expected, Zhu Biao was also there.

When he was paying his respects, he discovered that besides Concubine Chang, there was also a little girl beside Empress Ma.

Just when he was confused, Queen Ma took the initiative to introduce him.

"This is the eldest girl from the Tiande family. I'll keep her by my side and train her for a few years."

The eldest daughter of Xu Da's family, isn't that Zhu Di's Empress Xu?
One was Empress Xiaokang, and the other was Empress Renxiao.

Tsk, I didn’t expect these two people to have such a common experience.

After exchanging greetings, Empress Ma asked everyone to leave, leaving only Zhu Biao, Ma Yu and the other three in the main hall.

Ma Yu immediately knew that it was most likely related to state affairs.

As expected, after everyone left, Queen Ma got straight to the point and said:

"The Yuan capital was successfully conquered, and the Ming Dynasty is about to unify the world."

"But how to govern the world, Your Majesty and I have no idea."

"I asked you to come here today just to ask if you have any suggestions."

Ma Yu hadn't expected that she would be faced with such a big topic right from the start, so she smiled bitterly and said:

"You think too highly of me."

“Although I did learn some statecraft from my elders, I only have a superficial understanding of it.”

"All I can remember now is a rough outline. I really can't be more specific."

Queen Ma's eyes lit up and said, "What we lack most is 'probably' to guide the direction."

If you knew everything, I might not dare to use it.

But he said calmly: "It's okay, just tell us as much as you know. Even if we can't use it, you can still give us a reference."

Ma Yu was still very embarrassed: "This... the way to govern a country is so complicated, I really don't know where to start."

"How about this, if you have anything you want to know, you can ask me and I'll see if I can answer it."

Empress Ma was obviously well prepared. Upon hearing this, she took out seven or eight memorials and said:
"Your Majesty has previously issued an edict ordering all ministers to speak freely on matters of state governance."

"These are the most representative memorials submitted by the ministers. You can take a look at them first."

Ma Yu took it, unfolded it and read it carefully.

The first one suggested following the old system of the Song Dynasty, with the commercial tax and land system remaining the same.

Neither the two Song dynasties restricted land annexation, and the commercial tax system (tax farming) was also introduced at that time.

The abacus beads used in this memorial all jumped onto his face.

You can tell who it is just by guessing it with your toes.

However, this time they did not clamor to use the Yuan Dynasty system, but used the guise of the two Song Dynasties.

I've made a lot of progress.

Ma Yu curled his lips and threw it aside.

Second, restore the Zhou rituals and implement the well-field system?
Where do all these geniuses come from? Are you sure they're not here to make fun of you?

This person should be allowed to sit at the same table with Fang Xiaoru for dinner.

Then let Zhu Laosi arrange a ten-tribe meal for them.

The third part implemented the Qin and Han Dynasty's named field system and land grant system.

The Mingtian system distributes land based on military merit and nobility.

The land grant system was aimed at the common people. The state allocated land to the common people for cultivation, and when they reached a certain age, the land would be taken back and distributed to the next person.

The fourth one is the equal-field system of the Sui and Tang dynasties...

Seeing this, Ma Yu also noticed something.

Although the contents of these memorials are different, the theme is all about the land system.

Come to think of it, the most important means of production in ancient times was land.

Nations prospered and crumbled because of it.

The most important thing for the country is definitely to establish a land system.

It is normal for Queen Ma to choose this as the starting point.

Now that I know what she really wants to ask, the rest is easy.

While Ma Yu was looking through the memorials, he was thinking about how to answer this question.

He did not directly mention mature systems and plans.

All systems and plans are merely summaries of human experience gained through research and exploration of society.

Many systems are actually the product of compromise and are not necessarily the best.

Moreover, it is hard to say whether the systems he knows can be accepted by them or whether they can be implemented.

So, instead of saying all this, it is better to tell her directly the rules behind these systems and plans.

Thinking of this, Ma Yu already had a rough plan in mind.

However, he did not speak in a hurry, but continued to think and perfect his plan in his mind.

Queen Ma also saw that he was thinking, and her heart was full of anticipation.

Don’t be fooled by the calmness of the court now; there are actually undercurrents surging underneath.

As the Ming Dynasty captured the Yuan capital and unified the world, the undercurrent became more intense.

Each faction seeks benefits for its own group.

The struggle over the land system was the most intense.

The problem is that the emperor and empress were also confused and didn't know what system to adopt.

So he could only watch the ministers struggle and had no way to resolve the problem.

Looking at Ma Yu in deep thought, Queen Ma thought: I hope he can give some different suggestions.

Zhu Biao had the same idea, except that he was just like his mother.

Rather than the final answer, he actually wanted to hear Ma Yu's analysis of the matter.

To be precise, it was the elders of Ma Yu's family who sorted out the matter. That was the way to understand the essence of the problem and the fundamental solution to the problem.

After a long time, Ma Yu finally raised his head and said:
"Aunt, let me tell you a hidden thread buried beneath history."

(End of this chapter)