The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 96 The Exploiters and the Capture of the Liaodong Envoy (Please continue reading)

Lin Yue's gaze sharpened, and he continued, "Since the imperial court is a product of the escalation of conflicts among various parties, then the key issue arises..."

In your opinion, which side should the imperial court take? Should it mediate and ease tensions, or should it show bias and suppress the conflict?

He turned to look directly at Yao Guangxiao and asked.

"Master, you previously said that the imperial court should suppress various conflicts. May I ask, with this word 'suppress,' who exactly is being suppressed?"

Yao Guangxiao's eyes were deep: "In times of chaos, an iron fist is needed; in times of peace, strong power is needed."

The so-called suppression means using the power of the imperial court to quell all strife that dares to emerge, whether it be a rebellion by powerful local lords or a commoner's act of defiance. All should be dealt with equally and swiftly to ensure the stability of the realm.

Lin Yue pressed on, his voice suddenly rising: "May I ask you, Master, to explain in detail what it means to treat everyone equally?"

Throughout history, who were the ones who overthrew the imperial court? Were they powerful warlords who held absolute power, or starving commoners?

The hall fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

Yao Guangxiao frowned slightly and fell silent. He knew the answer and didn't mind doing it, but it was still hard to say.

Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi looked grave and let out a long sigh.

Throughout history, those who rose up in rebellion were mostly ordinary people who could no longer survive.

The oppressive government, like a ruthless tiger, imposed heavy taxes, caused years of famine, and allowed powerful clans to seize land. The people had no land to cultivate and no food to eat. Driven to desperation, they would take desperate measures to fight for a sliver of hope.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue glanced sideways at Yao Guangxiao.

"Your Highness is absolutely right. But if we follow the Master's theory of suppressing all sides, what our Great Ming Dynasty should do is not to ease the oppressive policies, provide relief to the disaster victims, or curb the annexation of territory, but to kill all these people who cannot survive, so as to eliminate future troubles forever."

Lin Yue's words were somewhat sarcastic and meant to stir up trouble, but they weren't entirely without merit.

The Later Jin regime, which later became a cannibalistic tribe, followed the same line of thinking. After Nurhaci occupied Liaodong, he used the pretext of checking grain reserves to designate "people without grain" as enemies. Anyone with less than six or seven jin of grain per person and no cattle or donkeys was regarded as a potential spy or a useless poor ghost. He ordered the entire territory to be captured, killed, and slaughtered, a practice known in history as "killing the poor ghosts".

The Liaodong region was littered with corpses, and the Hun River was stained with blood. Hundreds of thousands of people were slaughtered simply because of food shortages. During the Qianlong era, the situation became even worse. Whenever the people rose up in rebellion, they would go deep into the area and kill many more, as if they wanted to turn the local area into a wasteland before they were satisfied.

Ultimately, contradictions are a product of human beings, and humans can be eliminated and consumed.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Lin Yue calmly spoke.

"Since the founding of the dynasty by the Yellow Emperor and the establishment of rites by the Duke of Zhou, China has been the central hub of the world and a land of propriety, with the light of civilization shining throughout the world. How can we imitate the barbarians and commit such tyrannical acts of slaughtering the poor and drinking poison to quench our thirst?"

"Barbarians treat the people like dirt, using slaughter to quell chaos; such methods are ultimately baseless. Our Chinese nation, however, takes the people as the foundation of the state and governs through education, thus ensuring its millennia-long continuity."

"The court was born out of contradictions, and its fundamental purpose was not to intensify contradictions or slaughter the weak, but to ease disputes and suppress chaos."

If one day land annexation intensifies, the gap between rich and poor becomes enormous, and the people have no land to cultivate or food to eat, and the contradictions become so deep that they are irreconcilable, then that is the time when the old dynasty collapses and a new system rises. This is an ironclad rule throughout history.

From the reigns of Jie and Zhou of Xia to the Qin and Sui dynasties, this has always been the case.

Therefore, the imperial court should support the weak and suppress the strong, and provide relief and assistance to those in distress. Those it should help are the poor farmers who have no land to stand on, not the powerful and wealthy who own vast tracts of land; it should help the displaced common people, not the rich and powerful who reap the benefits without sowing.

"Hearing Scholar Lin's words is like drinking fine wine!" Zhu Gaochi echoed loudly.

As Yanzi said, "No virtue is higher than loving the people, and no action is more virtuous than bringing joy to the people. Caring for the people is the foundation of governing a country."

In the past, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei Feng served as the governor of Guiyang. The prefecture was mountainous and dangerous, and the people were ignorant of etiquette. Instead of imposing punishments, he carved roads through the mountains, established post stations, taught the people to cultivate mulberry and hemp, and abolished licentious worship. Within a few years, the customs of the region were greatly improved, and even the barbarians submitted to him. The region was peaceful and prosperous.

During the Western Han Dynasty, Gong Sui, over seventy years old, was appointed to govern Bohai. At that time, there was famine and banditry. He dismissed all the officials who were in charge of arresting bandits, opened the granaries to relieve the poor, encouraged the people to sell their swords to buy cattle, plant elm trees to raise pigs, and supervised agriculture and sericulture. In the end, the county's reserves were full and lawsuits ceased.

When the people are prosperous, they will be at peace in their hometowns and families. When people are at peace in their hometowns and families, they will respect their superiors and fear punishment. Governing a country should prioritize enriching the people. These sages all put the people first and did not use harsh policies or cruel laws, yet they were able to achieve great order within their borders.

It is evident that if our Great Ming Dynasty could emulate the wise men of the past, reducing taxes and levies, and encouraging agriculture and sericulture, then the empire could be stabilized and the people could live in peace...

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue suddenly shook his head and said, "What His Highness the Crown Prince said is all the teachings of sages and the words that the court must say. After all, only by saying this can they justifiably and comfortably exploit the world."

In my opinion, there's no fundamental difference between the imperial court collecting taxes and the Green Gang extorting money.

"This..." Zhu Gaochi was taken aback and looked at him in confusion.

Yao Guangxiao suddenly objected, saying, "Scholar Lin is mistaken!"

The imperial court collects taxes not for its own pockets, but for the benefit of the people. The Yellow River breaches its banks twice in three years, and the court conscripts laborers to build dikes and reinforce the riverbanks, thus ensuring the safety of the fields and houses of millions of people in Henan and Shandong. When there is a severe drought in Huaixi, the court allocates grain from the imperial granary to provide relief, thus preventing the tragic situation of refugees exchanging children for food. The soldiers of the nine border garrisons guard the deserts, resisting the remnants of the Yuan dynasty and defending against the Jurchens, thus protecting the people of the Central Plains from the suffering of war.

These are all genuine matters concerning people's livelihoods; how can they be confused with extortion by the Green Gang?

Lin Yue raised his hand to stop him, not directly answering Yao Guangxiao's question, but instead speaking to himself.

"In the past, according to the laws of the Northern Wei Dynasty, officials of the fifth rank and above who committed crimes could have their sentences reduced by two years of penal servitude based on their rank, while those of the ninth rank could have their sentences reduced by one year, and those who committed public crimes could have their sentences reduced by an additional year."

Laws may seem to bind the people, but in reality they are a manifestation of the ruler's will. Maintaining stability is the ruler's instinct, so that he can collect grain and taxes from the people year after year to fund the operation of the court and the salaries of officials.

The Green Gang's extortion, a survival strategy of street gangs, and the imperial court's taxation, a necessity for the ruler's governance, are essentially both about profiting through force; there is no fundamental difference between them.

"No!" Yao Guangxiao's eyes darkened, and he was about to argue.

Lin Yue interrupted again, saying, "I say these things not to slander the court, but to let His Majesty and His Highness see the truth: the court's gold and silver, the salaries of officials, and the provisions of the border troops are all taken from the people."

The so-called "receiving the emperor's bounty" is merely a euphemism; in reality, it means eating the people's grain and wearing their silk.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di coldly snorted and asked, "Does Lin Yue mean to say that without a court, the common people can live a good life?"

Lin Yue shook his head: "Your Majesty is wise. I am not unaware of the cruelty of the world."

During the reign of Liu Yin of the Southern Han Dynasty, the taxes were heavy and burdensome. In Qiongzhou, the tax on a dou of rice was four or five coins. Furthermore, the "Meichuan Capital" was established to force people to go to sea. At the end of the Ran Wei Dynasty, there was a great famine in Ye, and people ate each other. Therefore, during the Zhao Dynasty, almost all the palace women were eaten.

In times of chaos, the strong prey on the weak, and order collapses. Without the protection of the imperial court, the common people would only suffer even more.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has enjoyed more than 30 years of peace and prosperity. We have established almshouses to take in widows, widowers, and orphans. Emperor Taizu abolished cruel punishments and reduced taxes, allowing the people to live in peace and cultivate the land. There are very few dynasties in the world like the Great Ming Dynasty that are willing to uphold propriety and do practical things."

The fact that China has a unified and powerful dynasty is a blessing for all Han Chinese.

"Your Majesty, I am merely greedy, desiring more. I hope that in addition to maintaining stability, the court can do more to benefit the people, curb the annexation of land by powerful clans, reduce taxes for poor farmers, protect the livelihoods of ordinary people, reduce oppressive policies, and implement more benevolent measures."

After a moment of silence in the hall, Lin Yue suddenly smiled faintly and began to speak in a cryptic tone, like a riddle teller.

"But I often have a question: Do those who exploit others know that they are exploiting them? Or do they regard this power, which is taken from the people, as a divine gift?"

Sometimes, when I think about it, the barbaric practices of various groups, though brutal, also reveal a savage pragmatism. They simply understand perfectly well that in this era of great competition, the strong prey on the weak.

After he finished speaking, there was no more talk in the hall.

Zhu Di's eyes were deep, Zhu Gaochi's brows were furrowed, he did not quite agree, and Yao Guangxiao looked thoughtful.

After a long while, Zhu Di waved his hand: "Our conversation ends here for today. You may all go your separate ways."

The three bowed and took their leave, leaving Zhu Di alone in the Wenhua Hall.

Yao Guangxiao walked out of the palace gate, his steps slow and deliberate, his usually steady gait now somewhat disordered.

He instinctively believed that Lin Yue was very similar to himself, so he paid special attention to his remarks.

Yao Guangxiao's mind raced. Why did Lin Yue suddenly bring up the origins of the imperial court? What was the hidden meaning behind it?

The argument that the imperial court is a product of contradictions is indeed reasonable, but the law represents the ruling will, and the imperial court is similar to the Green Gang. Is this argument also entirely correct?

Yao Guangxiao sat in his meditation room all day, his prayer beads turning countless times.

Lin Yue's words kept echoing in my mind: "The people provide food to support the officials, and the officials protect the people's peace. How is this any different from paying protection money in exchange for peace?"

Zhu Di seized the throne through the Jingnan Campaign. After ascending the throne, he built the Grand Canal and constructed the capital, Yanjing. All the money and grain used came from the people. Could this be considered exploitation?

As the sun sets, dappled light and shadow dappled the room.

Yao Guangxiao abruptly stopped his hand from twirling the prayer beads, a sudden realization flashing in his eyes.

Lin Yue is right!

The imperial court is a great thief of the world, using its power to amass wealth for its own purposes. Zhu Di, the emperor who reigns supreme, is the chief of all the thieves in the court, using his position as emperor to exploit the world's wealth.

Zhu Di was the biggest exploiter in the world.

All the civil and military officials in the imperial court were profiteers.

Thinking of this, Yao Guangxiao smiled slightly, believing he had seen through Lin Yue's intentions. But then he realized that a new, even bigger, question had arisen.

He helped Zhu Di quell the rebellion and establish order in the country, thinking he was creating a new era. In the end, it was just a change of power and exploitation. So, was his lifelong plan to defy fate an unparalleled achievement, or just a meaningless cycle of reincarnation?

Is the rise and fall of dynasties, and the exploitation and oppression by rentiers, unavoidable?

Yao Guangxiao wasn't some great person who served the country and its people; he just felt that what he was doing wasn't the most impressive kind.

Rebellion, perhaps, has an even more serious level.

Yao Guangxiao intuitively felt that there was no better way, but he hoped that wasn't the case, because he could vaguely sense that Lin Yue must have had these ideas all along, otherwise he wouldn't have deliberately said these things.

This is a meeting of minds between people of the same kind.

Lin Yue, completely unaware of her telepathic connection with Yao Guangxiao, is on her way to Yingtian Prefecture.

Previously, Zhu Di had appointed him as the acting prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, which was a huge amount of power. As the saying goes, if you don't use your power, it will expire. While Zhu Di was still willing to let him govern Nanjing, he had to put that power into practice immediately.

You Liaodong envoys from the ditch, Lin Yue will bring you to justice now!

The main hall of the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture is painted in vermilion and towers high, with copper bells hanging high.

Inside the ceremonial gate, the officials were all performing their duties, either reviewing files or discussing official business, when suddenly the gatekeeper exclaimed in alarm, "Who dares to trespass into the courtroom!"

Lin Yue, dressed in a scarlet official robe and with a jade belt around his waist, strode in.

The gatekeeper tried to stop him, but he stopped him with a golden imperial plaque.

"I am Lin Yue, appointed by His Majesty as the Acting Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, and I assume office today!"

The golden seal was dazzling, and the words were forceful. Upon hearing this, the officials had no doubts and all abandoned their work, hastily tidying their clothes, and were momentarily at a loss.

Without waiting for the others to greet him, Lin Yue strode into the hall, grabbed the gavel from the table, and slammed it down heavily, declaring in a resounding voice, "Court is now in session!"

The bailiffs on both sides, accustomed to obeying orders, immediately responded in unison, their voices resounding throughout the palace.

The officials below, including the Prefectural Magistrate and the Judge, looked at each other, about to step forward to inquire about the handover, when Lin Yue raised his eyes and swept his gaze across the steps below, and said loudly.

"Pass on my order: immediately gather all the constables and proceed to the foreign inn to arrest the Liaodong envoy!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, and the officials immediately began to discuss them.

The clerk of the Household Department hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and bowed, asking, "Your Excellency, may I ask whether you intend to arrest a specific individual among the Liaodong envoys, or all of them?"

Does that mean arresting both their chief envoy and deputy envoy?

This matter is of great importance. Should we first inform the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Rites? After all, they are foreign envoys; arresting them rashly might cause trouble.

"What are you reporting!" Lin Yue shouted. "I am exercising the power of the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture. I can arrest whoever I say I will. You all shut up."

The Liaodong envoys have disregarded the law and have long engaged in treacherous acts. Arresting them would greatly please the people; why would we need to ask for permission?

Lin Yue shouted loudly, "They must be arrested, and arrested severely! Whether they are the chief envoy, deputy envoy, or their entourage and guards, all those from Liaodong must be arrested and brought to justice. Anyone who disobeys may be executed on the spot!"

Seeing his resolute attitude, and remembering that Lin Yue was a favorite of the Yongle Emperor and dared to contradict even cabinet ministers to his face, the officials dared not say anything more.

At Lin Yue's command, the head constable immediately mustered his men, grabbed their chains and official badges, and hurried off to the post station.

Within an hour, dozens of Liaodong envoys were brought to the hall, their hands bound behind their backs.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yue laughed before even speaking: "Hehehe!"

He slowly descended from the high hall, put his hands behind his back, and walked with an air of arrogance, circling the envoys twice.

"Esteemed envoys, you have been accustomed to acting arrogantly and domineeringly in Liaodong. Have you ever thought that you would end up like this in Yingtian?"

""

In the crowd, a Liaodong man with an empty right arm suddenly looked up. He was the leader of the group whose arm Lin Yue had cut off earlier. His eyes were bloodshot, and he cursed loudly in broken Chinese.

"Lin Yue, you are a petty person who has become powerful! You are just taking advantage of the emperor's favor to abuse your power for personal gain and settle personal scores!"

"We are legitimate envoys from Liaodong. You have arrested us without cause. Aren't you afraid of being impeached by the court officials, causing alarm to our friendly nation, and even leading to war between our two countries?!"

"How dare you!" Lin Yue's face darkened, and he ignored the accusation of abusing his power for personal gain, shouting angrily at the man.

"I am an official appointed by the imperial court, a high-ranking official of the fourth rank. How dare you, a barbarian from a foreign land, publicly insult me ​​as a villain!" This is clearly contempt for a superior and desecration of the laws of the Ming Dynasty!

"Left and right! Slap him in the face! Slap him hard! Wake up this ignorant, arrogant barbarian!"

Upon hearing this, the two constables immediately stepped forward, grabbed the military officer, and began slapping him with both hands.

At first, the force was light, but Lin Yue saw this and shouted angrily.

"Did you guys skip breakfast? How dare you act as yamen runners with that kind of strength? Beat them harder!"

"If we punish them too leniently, they will be accused of colluding with these barbarians and being traitors who betray their country! They will be severely punished, exiled three thousand miles away!"

Upon hearing this, the constables trembled in fear and immediately mustered all their strength, slapping each other repeatedly.

The Liaodong leader's face instantly swelled up like a pig's head, two of his teeth were knocked out, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, but he still refused to back down and continued to mumble curses.

After striking him about twenty or thirty times, Lin Yue waved his hand, and the constables stopped, panting as they retreated to the side.

Lin Yue dusted off the dust from his official robe, sat back comfortably in the main seat of the court, and asked slowly:

"Officials, tell me, these barbarians from foreign lands are oppressing the people in the streets of our Great Ming territory, frequently beating, scolding, and robbing. What's worse, they even dared to attempt to kill a high-ranking official of the fourth rank. According to the laws of our Great Ming, what crime should they be punished for?"