The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 33 Hero and Scoundrel
Lan Yu was on the verge of death, and was probably delirious.

Li Qi, an outsider, could see clearly that Zhu Yuanzhang's face only showed resentment and remembrance. The more he reminisced, the faster he drew his sword!

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked the Seven Star Sword, then glanced in Li Qi's direction. If it were according to his old temper, he would not have had this trouble today and would have simply killed Lan Yu's faction.

However, after Li Qi returned to the capital, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized that perhaps the imperial power was too strong, and he was able to overcome the principles with tactics. So he became obsessed with power tactics and abandoned the great principles. When he looked back, the world was already unjust.

Thus, today's meeting came about.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was still full of reminiscence as he paced around the hall, walking among the court officials.

"We rarely talk about the time when we were conquering the world."

All the people under heaven know that I was born from a humble background in Huaiyou and received the mandate of heaven.

The Yuan Dynasty was extremely brutal, and the people were displaced and unable to survive.

Most of my family members starved to death. Later, we joined the rebel army, determined to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty. Many of our brothers and friends died, but we finally established the Ming Dynasty.

Back then, we felt that to ensure everyone in the world could live a good life, we had to kill those corrupt officials who cruelly oppressed and abused the people. Because we were just ordinary people, we knew how bad and ruthless those officials were. If anyone dared to embezzle, we would kill them.

But what we didn't expect was...

Zhu Yuanzhang turned his gaze back to Lan Yu, his eyes burning with murderous intent. "How many years have passed since those people who followed us and vowed to overthrow the tyrannical Yuan and bring peace to the world?"

They were exactly the same officials as those of the Yuan Dynasty, cruel and abusive towards the people, and corrupt!

How many people still remember their original aspirations?

His Majesty the Emperor was furious, like a lion, and almost roared, which made everyone in the court tremble.

But Lan Yu refused to accept this, and he stubbornly said, "Your Majesty, we have risked our lives for the wealth and honor we enjoy today. If meritorious officials are left to their old ways, who will be willing to risk their lives?"

"Wealth and glory? Haven't you obtained them?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily, "Lan Yu, you nobles of the dynasty are all my relatives by marriage. Although you have not been granted land, your annual salary is dozens of times that of officials of the same rank. Moreover, your positions are all hereditary and can be passed down through generations. This is rare in all dynasties."

The land and shops in your clan, plus the tributes from below, are enough to ensure that each of you is well-fed and clothed and extremely wealthy. We believe that we have already rewarded you more than enough for your contributions!

If civil officials dared to accept tributes from their subordinates, we would have executed them long ago. But we have been tolerant of you time and time again, and even granted you pardons. When we first conferred titles upon you, didn't we intend to share wealth and honor with you?
If it were merely for wealth and status, how could such a calamity have occurred today?

Lan Yu was speechless. When the Ming Dynasty was first established, the emperor was indeed very generous. Although there was no fiefdom, fiefdom was just converted into money and grain. The nobles of the Ming Dynasty were all hereditary and entrusted with important responsibilities. They also had many privileges. In the history of the Ming Dynasty, their treatment was considered very high.

"But you should never have done that. You should never have been so utterly disrespectful, so cruel and harmful to the people, and so corrupting the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. If you hadn't committed so many murders, you would never have suffered this disaster today."

Lan Yu said awkwardly, "They're just lowly commoners, why make such a fuss?"

"Untouchables..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang felt as if he were about to fly into a rage. He took two deep breaths, forcibly calmed himself down, and slowly said, "I still remember when we were in those difficult years, we implemented policies to care for the people, gathered their hearts, and then gradually seized the world."

Now, our ministers refer to the common people as "lowly people."

You probably don't know or care about the principle that Emperor Taizong of Tang said: "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it."

But I care.

Even if it were our son, at most we would just spare his life.

The King of Qin cruelly oppressed the people. We must kill the treacherous officials around him who could not offer any advice, and after his death, we must give him the worst posthumous title so that he will be cursed throughout the ages and leave a lasting infamy.

Even though he is the eldest son and the second legitimate son, we will not consider him for the throne.

And what about you?
Is he more noble than our son, a prince of the Ming Dynasty?

All the officials in the hall bowed their heads. This was the first time His Majesty the Emperor had spoken in such a public setting about why the Prince of Qin had not been made Crown Prince.

Because they are unkind and uncompassionate.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced around at the officials with their heads bowed and said coldly, "I know that people all over the world say that I cannot tolerate meritorious officials and that I have killed too many people."

But which monarch wouldn't want to create a beautiful story of ruler and minister together?

Why must we bear such a bad reputation? If our contributors were all those heroes from back then, we wouldn't be in this situation.

Why did I not punish Xu Da, the Prince of Zhongshan, and why do Guo Ying and Geng Bingwen still enjoy my trust?
Although they occasionally broke the law, they were still human beings after all, loyal and devoted, and never oppressed the people.

Look at Lan Yu and his ilk again, and think about the meritorious officials we killed. Do they still have the demeanor of loyal and virtuous ministers?

They suspect us, test our limits, and try to gain personal advantage.

They colluded with each other, even with people like Hu Weiyong.

They disregard the things we have repeatedly warned against, and they dare to bully the soldiers of the garrisons that the Ming Dynasty relies on for its livelihood.

They viewed the people of the Ming Dynasty as pigs and dogs, and only cared about the power in the imperial court.

Lan Yu was dissatisfied when we didn't appoint him as Grand Tutor, and he even vented his anger with others.

Even if Emperor Guangwu of Han (Liu Xiu) or Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin) were alive today, you would still die!

The great hero who led the army on its expedition against the Mongols is dead; all that remains is a power-hungry scoundrel!

The emperor's interrogation hammer rests in everyone's heart.

Only then did the courtiers glimpse the emperor's thoughts. He had long been angry and dissatisfied with Lan Yu, Li Shanchang, and others, but he had been able to tolerate it for some reason before, but now those reasons had disappeared.

Those angers were no longer suppressed!
Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at the group of nobles who were tied to the ground and shouted angrily: "You, you, and you are no longer the heroes you once were, but dogs that everyone hates and beats."

You despicable scoundrels, how dare you exist in this world? We won't be satisfied until we tear you to pieces!

Lan Yu and the others had crawled out of piles of corpses, and they were not afraid of death at all. But now, they felt the fear of being killed and their spirits crushed by the emperor's words.

"Ascend."

"minister……"

Lan Yu wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. At this moment, he felt a deep, agonizing regret that gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped speaking, closed his eyes slightly, and waved for the palace guards to drag the person away.

The palace was quiet except for the sound of iron chains rubbing and clanging. The emperor today was unlike any the ministers had ever seen, revealing his true feelings, and one could even glimpse the once towering and indomitable emperor in his presence.

"They have all forgotten their original aspiration to bring peace to the world, and in the end they all became victims of our swords. You civil officials should remember the teachings of the sage."

Cultivate oneself, regulate one's family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world!

Don't let things escalate to the point of mutual animosity between ruler and subject. I'll reiterate my words: "We'll drink from the same cup, but we'll fight without mercy." You'd better watch yourselves. That's all I have to say.

Li Qi stood there with his hands tied, his heart filled with complex emotions.

When he arrived in this world, Zhu Yuanzhang had already entered the old age and madness stage after Empress Ma's death. To be honest, Zhu Yuanzhang at this stage was not a wise and virtuous ruler.

But Li Qi will always remember that Zhu Yuanzhang was the great hero who eliminated the tyrannical Yuan dynasty and restored the Han people's lost land for four hundred years!
His achievements will live on forever and will be recorded in history!
After transmigrating, Li Qi schemed against Zhu Yuanzhang countless times in order to survive and for the future of his family. However, he felt regretful, wishing he could see the hero he once knew.

If only he could travel back in time to the body of a young Li Shanchang, the Ming Dynasty wouldn't be in its current state.

But today, Li Qi actually caught a glimpse of the former brilliance in the aging emperor.

Is this the most outstanding emperor in history?

If only things could stay this way forever.

The officials responded murmured and left the hall. Li Qi looked back and saw the emperor sitting upright on the dragon throne. The light from outside could not penetrate into the depths of the hall, and a heavy shadow enveloped the emperor, making him appear as majestic as a mountain.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

He slaughtered a million soldiers in Jiangnan, the blood still lingering on the sword at his waist!

The old monk, oblivious to the hero's worth, kept incessantly asking his name. —From "A Poem for Monks at Bu Re Hermitage" [Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang]

(End of this chapter)