Di Ming

Chapter 11 Ambition
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yin was taken aback and looked into Ning Caiwei's eyes.

The girl's clear, watery eyes were sparkling with an indescribable brilliance.

It seems to be igniting the darkness.

Zhu Yin immediately realized that this was the flame of ambition!

As expected, it couldn't be hidden any longer, could it?
"You..." Zhu Yin's tone hardened, and his expression turned strange. "How could you think that?"

He had thought about changing his fate, about taking the imperial examination to become an official, and about getting rich through business.

If possible, try to save the Ming Dynasty from its demise and preserve some vitality for China.

But he never thought of becoming emperor!

At least for now, I haven't thought about it.

“Why can’t we think that way?” Ning Caiwei sat up abruptly, looking at Zhu Yin with a serious expression.

"You are a descendant of the Ming dynasty, why can't you be the emperor of the Ming dynasty?"

"Having the surname Zhu is an innate advantage."

"In all things, preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. True wisdom lies in making decisions early."

She lowered her voice, her tone like a seductive enchantress tempting men to commit crimes, "Zhu Yin, there are three of us who have come to ancient times, the three of us!"

"Don't we have a chance to take control of this world?"

"Even if we fail, as long as we prepare an escape route in advance, we can set sail and establish a country overseas."

She clenched her fist. "You think I'm power-hungry and ambitious? No, not at all."

"I just hope that we can live with dignity, live with value, and live a life that embodies the true meaning of humanity."

"I don't want to be a subject of His Majesty the Emperor, a sheep of the officials, or a victim of feudalism."

"I would rather not be a slave to a foreign race, living in constant fear and uncertainty, than be a dog."

"If we want to take control of our own destiny and not be swallowed up by the power of this era, we can only take it one step at a time and climb to the top."

"In this way, no one in the world can decide our life or death, no one can control us or oppress us..."

Zhu Yin understood.

Ning Caiwei was deeply disappointed and unwilling to accept defeat; she was determined to make a comeback.

She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and has been pampered since childhood. She is the president of the Ning Group, managing trillions of assets, and is a prominent figure in China.

She represents the powerful Ning family conglomerate, possessing not only immense wealth but also enormous power.

When she was still President Ning, no one could control or manipulate her.

But she can decide the fate of many people!
But now, she has come to ancient times and become a little girl, living under someone else's roof, her life uncertain.

Not only did they lose everything they had before, they also became the weakest of the weak.

This psychological gap is akin to falling from the clouds to the dust.

If she could remain calm and composed, she would be a saint.

Of course, she always wanted to turn her life around and would never accept her fate.

My own state of mind, however, is different.

I suffered as a child, was ostracized by the locals, lived under the huge shadow of the massacre and discrimination against Chinese people, and grew up bravely in the territory of foreign races, living a very difficult life.

Later, he returned to his motherland and became a secret agent. Although the job was respectable and honorable, it involved dangerous work such as counter-espionage, assassination, and undercover work, and he had no power.

He and Ning Caiwei are from completely different worlds.

People's life trajectories are so different that their states of mind are naturally different.

But when he heard Ning Caiwei's confident and persuasive words, he was still tempted.

Why can't I? My surname is Zhu, and I'm a time traveler.

Am I truly willing to spend my entire life bowing down to ancient rulers and serving them like a beast of burden?
Or perhaps his ambitions were always hidden, but he simply hadn't had the chance to take root and sprout. At this moment, Ning Caiwei's words were like a spell, causing his ambitions to sprout and grow.

The little boy's eyes appeared even more profound in the darkness, and his voice became dry and hoarse.
"I think you're right!"

"We are modern people, we cannot be slaves to feudal rulers and Manchu slave owners!" "What Li Zicheng dared to do, what are we lacking? We are still young, we have plenty of time to plan!"

"Only by wielding great power can we determine our own destiny. Otherwise, no matter how much money we make or how high our official position becomes, we may end up with nothing and be doomed forever!"

Ning Caiwei suddenly took his hand, her face relaxed, and said in a relieved tone:

“Brother Zhu Yin, it’s good that you’ve figured it out! Only when we have aspirations and goals can we have direction.”

“I am a woman, and I am destined not to achieve much in this era. They will not listen to me. My gender disadvantage is too great.”

"But you can definitely do it. You're a man, and your surname is Zhu. As long as you take down the top group of powerful figures, you can go public through a backdoor listing and reorganize the company."

"But before that, we need to be patient and not reveal your identity as a descendant of Jianwen, lest it arouse the current emperor's suspicion. We will reveal your identity as a descendant of Jianwen when the time is right."

"It's like the timing of going public; you can't afford to miss it."

Zhu Yin took a deep breath. "The best way is to take the imperial examination and become an official. We are still in the Wanli era, which is a time of peace and prosperity. Rebellion is definitely not an option; that would be suicide."

Ning Caiwei said, "Why take the imperial examination? If you become a civil official, you won't have military power. Without military power, we're still fish on the chopping block. You're quite skilled; you could pursue a military career, as long as there's room for manipulation..."

Zhu Yin shook his head: "You don't understand. In the late Ming Dynasty, taking the military route was still viable. But it definitely wouldn't work during the Wanli era."

"Before the Tumu Crisis, military generals did indeed hold military power. After the Tumu Crisis, the status of military generals plummeted, while the power of the civil official group expanded and began to control military power, and the military generals lost their military power."

“Civilian officials who were weak and only knew how to read books became military commanders. Frontline commanders were civil officials, and the highest military orders and the highest military and political authority also came from civil officials.”

Ning Caiwei was somewhat astonished and said in disbelief:
"How is that possible? What are the military officers for? Frontline commanders, staff officers, military and political officials, and logistics are all handled by civilian officials. Are the military officers just for show?"

Zhu Yin shook his head: "It's absurd, isn't it? But that's the historical fact. Because of the extreme distrust of military officers, many of their powers were stripped away, and their status was very low, far inferior to that of civil officials."

“Li Chengliang was a first-rank military officer and also an earl. But when Zhang Juzheng was only a second-rank official, he referred to himself as ‘this humble one,’ ‘this lowly person,’ and ‘this lowly official’ in his letters to Zhang Juzheng.”

"And this is Li Chengliang, a top-tier military officer. Need I say more about how low the status of other military officers is?"

"As for what the military officers do, they are not just for show. First, they train the troops; second, they are stationed in defense; and third, they charge into battle. They act as instructors and combatants."

"If I were a military officer, I would be completely controlled by the civil officials and would have no choice but to obey them. Even the soldiers below me would be used to obeying the civil officials and would not obey me."

"If a civil official says, 'Charge!' and I'm expected to lead the charge, is that what it means to have military power?"

“A fifth-rank military commissioner or a seventh-rank imperial inspector can even execute first and report later, without requesting permission, directly suspending the authority of generals and deputy generals, and taking over the army by overstepping their bounds.”

"At least in the early years of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, this was still the political climate."

"Therefore, if you want to control the military, you must be a civil official. Military generals are just dogs of civil officials!"

Ning Caiwei shook her head and said, "I see. Then let's take the imperial examination! You will be responsible for studying and taking the examination, and first become a member of the civil service group."

"As for me, I'll be responsible for making money and building my fortune. You handle external affairs, and I'll handle internal affairs. With your official position as a cover, I can build a business empire and become the richest man in the Ming Dynasty."

"With money to pave the way, things become much easier."

"However, are officials' family members allowed to engage in business?"

"Yes." Zhu Yin nodded. "The Ming Dynasty's Taizu Law stipulated that officials below the fourth rank and their families could engage in business. However, this did not include officials of the fourth rank; it included those below the fourth rank."

Ning Caiwei frowned. "So, if you have the chance to rise to the fourth rank, we'll have to give up business?"

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "That's not true. The Great Ming Code also stipulates that merchants are not allowed to wear silk and commoners are not allowed to wear gold jewelry. Who still abides by it now? It's long been a mere formality."

"Take Xu Jie for example. He became the Grand Secretary, a first-rank official. He owned thousands of looms and ran a silk business. He was incredibly wealthy, and no one would say that he violated the Ming Dynasty law by engaging in business."

Ning Caiwei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Such a big loophole? Then I'm relieved. However, we're too young now and have no resources. We can hardly protect ourselves, so there's no rush."

"No matter what, let's go back to the Central Plains first, settle down, and take it slow."

Zhu Yin nodded. "Yes, no rush. Take your time."

As he was speaking, a sudden exclamation came from outside the courtyard:
"Poor Boroli! What's wrong with you?"

It was Toro's voice.

Then a commotion broke out, and her eldest son said in alarm:

"Father chased after that weasel, and he was bitten by accident. The weasel probably ate a poisonous snake from its burrow, and its teeth were poisonous. Father died instantly..."

(End of this chapter)