I'm really not doing business

Chapter 606: I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty, and I will save all sentient beings and become a Buddha.

Zhu Yijun approved of many editorials by Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi, which pointed out that the Ming Dynasty had lost its soul, the alienation of power to people, the alienation of religion to people, and the impact of alienation on production and life.

Xiaoyao Yiwen was in full swing, but very few people followed Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi in the discussion.

On the one hand, it is difficult for pen masters to explain these ideas based on practice and in-depth observation, because most of them do not have the ability to put them into practice and usually just follow what others say.

On the other hand, if these discussions go too deep and people join in the fun, they may easily be punished.

All the major newspapers remained silent, but the more conservative ministers made a series of memorials to the emperor, urging him to stop such outrageous discussions.

Even in the revised second chapter of Power Alienation, there is not a single word about Emperor Sejong and the previous emperor, but people can always naturally make associations, because it has not been long since Emperor Sejong did whatever he wanted and the previous emperor took things for granted, and this is a kind of innuendo and accusation.

It even alarmed two conservatives in the Military Academy, Liu Xian and Shi Maohua, the chief academic officers of the Academy. One of them was from Sichuan and the other from Shaanxi, both of them were veterans of the battlefield. When Shi Maohua came to Beijing, he criticized the capital's atmosphere for being too bold. After several editorials were published in newspapers, the two immediately submitted memorials to express their opposition.

"Your Majesty, Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi are under your protection. We, your subjects, will ignore any bold remarks they made in the past, as if they were instructions from your Majesty. However, such nonsense and arrogant remarks that subvert the country should be severely punished! Otherwise, these scholars will follow suit in the future."

"What Yang Tinghe and Yang Shen said back then was nonsense: the dynasty has nurtured scholars for 150 years, and they would die for justice today! They have left endless harm!" Shi Maohua expressed his attitude very excitedly.

Shi Maohua was reminding His Majesty that if this unhealthy trend was allowed to spread, from innuendo to accusations against the late Emperor and Emperor Sejong, it would gradually turn into questioning His Majesty, and would further undermine the New Deal and subvert the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty is your Majesty's world, not the world of Yang Tinghe and his son, nor the world of pen-wielders. They are not responsible for history, but your Majesty is.

"Please be patient, be patient." Zhu Yijun motioned for the two to sit down and talk, and not to worry or be nervous. Then he took out Li Zhi's original text, handed it to Feng Bao and said, "Take a look at this."

Shi Maohua was already angry, and after reading the original, he became even angrier! !
It turns out that Li Zhi had already accused Sejong and the previous emperor in the original text!
"Those disloyal and unfilial people should be left to fend for themselves on the grassland. The fact that they can study in peace and that their ancestors have been able to live in peace and security for generations all depends on the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. In their eyes, stability is a matter of course, and outside of the Ming Dynasty, it is an unattainable luxury!" Shi Maohua was so angry that his head hurt after reading the original document.

The original and revised versions have the same propositions, only the arguments have changed.

"Then Governor Shi, do you think that Li Zhi is wrong? Power cannot be willful, or power cannot be taken for granted?" Zhu Yijun asked with a smile.

Shi Maohua thought about it and agreed with Li Zhi's point of view. He shook his head and said, "He is right, but he can't say that! He can cite the example of his subjects, but he should not criticize the monarch."

"Isn't he an official? If he had the guts, he would have done what Hai Rui did, carrying a coffin to make a petition, making insinuations, and being sarcastic. What a talent!"

It is okay to blame Chen Shan in the same way as Hai Rui. Hai Rui has already paved the way and we just need to follow it. What he said really makes sense and we can make a suggestion.

Shi Maohua has always hoped that the Ming Dynasty could reopen the Western Regions. If Your Majesty is deeply involved in this kind of public opinion, Shi Maohua may not see the day when the Ming Dynasty reopens the Western Regions, and he may not even be able to remember to inform his father during the family sacrifice.

This is what Shi Maohua is worried about.

Starting from a seemingly reasonable entry point, stirring up public opinion, and then using public opinion to influence the government, magnifying and multiplying it. Shi Maohua has seen a lot over the years. If he really wants to say something, just like Hai Rui, he should put his life on the scale and make it clear in the memorial!
Jiajing Jiajing, every family is clean, which is much more lethal than Li Zhi's sarcastic remarks.

"Your Majesty, Luchuan is fighting against Toungoo. If these guys keep talking nonsense and stir up the trend of Xingwen and Yanwu, I am worried that it will restrict the front line." Liu Xian explained the reason why he came. He was afraid of Xingwen and Yanwu.

Altan Khan was beheaded in public, Tuman Khan was living a life of idleness and waiting for death in the capital, and the crisis in the north had been resolved, so it seemed inevitable to let the troops go to the mountains to rest. The Ming Dynasty's annual military expenditure of 1100 million accounted for nearly half of the annual revenue of the Ming court. At this time, it was very appropriate to launch a campaign of promoting both culture and military power.

"You two are right." Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Let's hold a spring review on March 18th. It just so happens that Li Rusong will be returning to Beijing with his cavalry battalion in a few days."

The Spring and Autumn Review is an ancestral tradition. The scale of each review is different, each one can represent a certain direction of the wind. As long as the Spring and Autumn Review is conducted normally, it represents that the court is strengthening its military power.

If we really want to promote both culture and military power, we have to ask the military men of the Ming Dynasty whether they agree or not. Only by demonstrating deterrence in a physical sense can we scare these despicable Confucian scholars so that they dare not talk nonsense and public opinion will not get out of control.

"Your Majesty is wise." Liu Xian and Shi Maohua looked at each other and sang praises.

They came to ask, actually, just to find out the emperor's own will. His Majesty's will is extremely important. What they are most worried about is that His Majesty himself has the intention to fight, and he will make it known through the two big loudspeakers Li Zhi and Lin Fucheng.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng and said with a smile: "Sir, what is Confucianism?"

"Your Majesty, Confucianism is a scam." Zhang Juzheng bowed his head and said, "The Doctrine of the Mean is a scam."

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhang Juzheng and laughed. In fact, the court officials did not understand why Zhu Yijun was so indulgent towards Li Zhi and Lin Fucheng. In their opinion, it was a bit unnecessary. After telling Shi Maohua and Liu Xian how to deal with them, Zhu Yijun wanted to explain why he allowed these contents to exist.

The court officials did not understand the Emperor's intentions, but Zhang Juzheng understood the Emperor best. He knew why the Emperor indulged Li Zhi and Lin Fucheng.

Zhang Juzheng held his hands, looked at Shi Maohua, and said, "On the surface, Confucius talked about benevolence, Mencius talked about righteousness, and benevolence and righteousness are Confucianism, but is it really so?"

"From the Confucian world of great harmony, we know that the great harmony it pursues, where officials are properly ranked and the order of respect, seniority and age is followed, is actually a denial of fairness."

"Using soft morality without any binding force to restrain meat eaters, and using hard punishment with binding force to restrain poor laborers, this is deception, this is a denial of fairness, and this is obviously taking sides."

Punishment was used to restrain the poor and the laborers because in the Confucian value system, the poor and the laborers did not have sufficient material foundation to learn benevolence and righteousness.

When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace. The opposite of this sentence means that when the granaries are empty, people don’t know etiquette; when they don’t have enough food and clothing, they don’t know honor and disgrace. If they don’t know etiquette and honor and disgrace, they cannot be restrained by morality and can only be restrained by laws.

This is a typical fallacy. The Ming Dynasty's Duntai Yuanhou were also human beings, and most of them came from poor backgrounds, but their morals were much higher than those of the lowly Confucian scholars.

The reason why Confucianism can become a prominent school of thought and the guiding principle for the ruling class is that it can restrain the partiality of meat-eaters through morality and the punishment of producers. Confucianism depends on the existence of the ruling class, and the ruling class naturally embraces Confucianism. Confucianism is an excellent tool for ruling.

The court officials were also a little confused as to why the emperor, as the head of the ruling class, denied Confucianism and compiled the "Compilation of Philosophers".

The freedom discussed by Li Zhi and others, or more precisely, the limited freedom that allows people to truly live as human beings, including the criticism of Sejong and the previous emperor, was all to escape this dilemma.

In fact, people like Li Zhi were more like the Legalists, fundamentalist Legalists who believed that princes who broke the law should be punished the same as common people, and tried to use things like social contracts to forcibly restrain the behavior of the ruling class.

For example, Shang Yang clearly stated: "The reason why the law is not enforced is that it is violated from above." The reason why the formulated legal rules cannot be universally followed is that the effectiveness of the law is destroyed and trampled on from above;

For example, Han Feizi said in the chapter of "Doubt": "Laws do not favor the rich, and the law does not bend to the crooked. Where the law is imposed, the wise cannot refuse, and the brave dare not argue. Punishment for wrongdoing does not spare high officials, and reward for good deeds does not exclude ordinary people."

That is to say, laws and rules cannot flatter the powerful, the ink line cannot bend to the crooked place, and the behavior that should be punished within the law cannot be evaded by the wise, and the brave dare not resist. Punishment of crimes does not avoid ministers, and reward of merit does not miss the common people, which is completely different from the Confucian idea of ​​not punishing officials.

"Governor Shi, your Majesty just wants the people of the Ming Dynasty to take a breath. Your Majesty lets them speak freely in the hope that by regulating themselves and setting an example, they can correct the mistakes of their superiors and the evil of their subordinates, and then regulate the meat-eaters in the world." Zhang Juzheng explained clearly why his majesty did this.

Leading by example is the best way that Your Majesty can think of. Just like those extravagant things on Xiafei Street, Your Majesty has not enjoyed them, so how can these people enjoy them! This is usurpation!
Your Majesty dares not violate the public order and good customs, and the class below Your Majesty must not violate them even more.

Actually, Zhang Juzheng did not quite agree with this approach. It was a bit hard for Your Majesty, as he, Zhang Juzheng, had to bear the blame. His disagreement was not because Zhang Juzheng was unwilling to bear the blame, but because Zhang Juzheng felt it was useless.

Your Majesty is frugal, and the whole world knows it, even the Queen of England knows it! But the powerful and powerful in Jiangnan still compete with each other in wealth and luxury, and even go to extremes, making those Japanese dregs, such as Roppongi Flower Crown, show off their power.

The only solution Zhang Juzheng could think of was killing. Killing just a few would certainly not stop the trend, but if it could be reduced to the scale of tens of thousands of people during the Hongwu period, it would definitely be able to stop the trend of competing for luxury.

This point is also mentioned in Han Feizi's "Du" chapter: "There is nothing better than punishment to strengthen the reputation of officials, discourage debauchery and stop fraud and hypocrisy."

To rectify the administration of officials, enforce the law, eliminate debauchery and laziness, and prohibit fraud and hypocrisy, no means are more effective than the law.

Zhu Yijun said that Zhang Juzheng was a legalist at heart. It was for this reason that Zhang Juzheng's performance evaluation system brought the meat-eaters, or more specifically the class of elected officials, into a rule-based environment that required competition, with the mediocre being demoted and the capable being promoted.

Confucianism is a scam. This is Zhang Juzheng's outrageous theory. It created a seemingly reasonable utopia, but in fact, in the name of benevolence and righteousness, it completely abandoned the pursuit of fairness and even the pursuit of relative fairness. Even relative fairness is disappearing, so the redistribution of means of production every few hundred years has become a necessity.

"So that's how it is." Shi Maohua was also a Jinshi graduate. As the governor of the border areas for so many years, Zhang Juzheng's words were very clear, and Shi Maohua naturally understood them.

There is a legend in Buddhism that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva once vowed that he would not become a Buddha until hell is empty and all sentient beings are saved and attain Bodhi.

Shi Maohua didn't know whether this was true or not, but His Majesty was indeed doing so. Shi Maohua had never seen an emperor live such a frugal life.

After Shi Maohua understood the logic behind His Majesty's actions, he immediately stopped his opposition, mainly because His Majesty had also promised to hold a grand review to promote military power, and as long as it was not the beginning of promoting culture over military power, that would be enough.

Li Rusong, deputy commander-in-chief of the Beijing Camp, led the imperial cavalry from Baoding Prefecture back to the Beidaying Camp of the capital. On the way there, they took the official post road, and on the way back, they took the express road. The express road from Daming to Baoding Prefecture had been successfully opened to traffic, and the horses and baggage were all placed on the latest train pulled by the Shengping No. 3 steam engine.

Li Rusong sat in the carriage with a slightly uneasy look, looking out the window with a frown on his face. According to the schedule, it would only take four and a half hours to get from Baoding Prefecture to the capital. What does this mean? He left in the morning and arrived in the evening.

When he arrived, it took him a full day and a half to get from the Beijing camp to Baoding Prefecture.

The speed of deploying troops on Chidao exceeded that of the cavalry camp.

The three cavalry battalions that the Ming Dynasty had spent a lot of money to build were becoming dispensable under the Chidao. Indeed, there was indeed a problem of the last mile on the battlefield. The Chidao of the Ming Dynasty could not be spread to every corner of the Ming Dynasty like human blood vessels. When they arrived at the place, they still needed to continue marching. The mobility of the cavalry could still be demonstrated, but the ability of the Chidao to quickly deploy the army still made the cavalry battalions a little embarrassed.

Li Rusong's uneasiness was actually uneasiness about the unknown. After the Ming Dynasty acquired the Chidao, many of its past marching experiences were slowly becoming obsolete, while new experiences had not yet been formed. This was the uneasiness of the unknown.

"We're back in the capital in the blink of an eye?" When Li Rusong got off the train, he was still a little confused as he looked at the newly renovated Beidaying station.

The Beidaying station, from a small earthen platform, gradually turned into a large station with several lanes. Trains pulled by iron horses rumbled away with billowing smoke and sharp whistles. Li Rusong stared blankly at the vehicles leaving. The Ming Dynasty was truly changing with each passing day.

"Are you back?" Qi Jiguang was standing on the platform of the station. He saw Li Rusong looking around, walked over and said with a smile.

"I've met the general."

"Duoli, how do you feel about the ride back?" Qi Jiguang asked Li Rusong about his feelings.

Li Rusong looked at the big thing behind him and said blankly, "Using iron horses to march can get into battle the fastest. If the enemy wants to wait for us to tire out, they will probably be in big trouble. Is this thing so powerful now? Thirty-six horsepower."

A regiment has 3,000 people including miscellaneous personnel. A 36-horsepower Shengping No. 3 can actually carry 50 people. If forced to do so, it can carry about 100 people. This time, when the cavalry battalion returned to Beijing from Baoding Prefecture, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty issued an edict to treat it as a stress test. A total of more than 1,000 locomotives of various sizes, from Shengping No. 1 to Shengping No. 3, were dispatched.

Qi Jiguang looked at the steam locomotive still emitting residual heat behind him and said helplessly: "There are only four Shengping No. 3 with 36 horsepower. Alas, the Grand Marshal dare not compete with the Prime Minister and the Second Minister for the number of iron horses, so he can only eat the leftovers."

The Iron Horse was a good thing, but due to its limited production, both the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister were scrambling for it, so the Ministry of Industry could get very few. Only four of the latest model, Shengping No. 3, were put into use on Chidao, and the rest were sent to the government factory.

This is also the reason why Shen Shixing wanted to build an iron horse factory in Songjiang Prefecture. More iron horse factories, higher horsepower iron horses, and higher output can all promote the development of the Ming Dynasty.

Li Rusong shook his head and said, "The main reason is that the highway has not yet been built to Jiayuguan, and the reopening of the Western Regions is still under planning. If the Gansu section is completed now, the reopening of the Western Regions will be put on the agenda, and everything will have to make way for the army's expedition."

"The grand review will be held in three days. You should be ready to lead His Majesty." Qi Jiguang stopped discussing the iron cavalry and talked about the specific matters of the grand review.

The freight transport by iron horses has gradually formed a certain scale during the bumpy time. The freight rate per mile in the Ming Dynasty is decreasing rapidly, but it is still very expensive. There is still a lot to do, but it has gradually changed from His Majesty's big toy to a monster that pulls goods. The scene of the whizzing iron horses pulling heavy goods can no longer attract people to stop and watch.

The Iron Horse also became one of the important fulcrums of the coal and silver circulation in the Ming Dynasty.

In Qi Jiguang's view, the Ming Dynasty's emperors and ministers were always discussing the liquidity of silver or currency, but Qi Jiguang cared more about the circulation of goods.

Between more goods or more currency, Qi Jiguang preferred more goods. Only more goods could stimulate the growth and circulation of currency. Without enough goods, currency would be just a mountain of silver bars.

The Ming Dynasty was rapidly regaining new vitality both inside and outside. This was a magnificent and unprecedented era, but the people in the midst of great changes did not realize the drastic nature of the changes.

On March 18th, before dawn, Li Rusong led the cavalry battalion into Beijing from Deshengmen. Because they were reviewing the troops, they did not carry any firearms, but only a pair of Mo Dao (Mo Dao). The Mo Dao was ten feet long, with a double-edged blade that was two feet and one inch long. The handle was wrapped with a red hemp rope.

In fact, since the middle and late Tang Dynasty, this kind of long-handled sword has gradually withdrawn from the battlefield because it has gradually lost its usage environment. The Mo Dao, weighing 15 pounds, is a weapon exclusive to the elite. Only the elite among the elite can wield this kind of sword on the battlefield. Replacing it with a bow and crossbow or firearms can be more effective in killing.

The Ming Dynasty specially created this kind of weapon that was not suitable for the current battlefield environment. Its main purpose was to meet the political needs of inheriting the Tang system and to promote military power. After all, this big guy looked particularly intimidating.

The early morning light was still dim, and a cavalry battalion of 3,000 men had already arrived in front of the Meridian Gate and were waiting in line.

The cold air spreads through the golden watchtowers, the cold light shines on the iron armor, and the uniform and neatly arranged Mo Daos are carried on the shoulders of the sharp soldiers of the cavalry camp. The blades and armor of the Mo Daos reflect the morning sun, shining brightly. This is the concrete embodiment of the martial ethics of the Ming Dynasty.

After Emperor Wuzong fell into the water, the Spring and Autumn Review was not held normally until the Wanli period. This was part of Zhang Juzheng's restoration of the ancestral system.

The court officials waiting in front of the Meridian Gate, looking at such a military appearance, couldn't help but murmur in their hearts. Altan Khan had been beheaded as a public display, but the emperor still loved to engage in warmongering!
Look at this group of sharp soldiers. When the emperor gives an order, who will they point their shining blades at? Who will they chop off?
The Mo Dao is heavy, and one strike can definitely chop off the head cleanly!

Amid the sound of drums and trumpets, His Majesty the Emperor, dressed in bright armor, rode a tall horse and slowly walked out of the Meridian Gate. He then gently reined in his horse and looked at Li Rusong.

"Your Majesty, your servant Li Rusong, has been ordered to welcome you! I, on behalf of the Beijing camp and over 101,300 elite soldiers, invite Your Majesty to go to the Beidaying camp to inspect the troops and horses!" Li Rusong rode his horse forward, dismounted, performed a half-salute, and shouted loudly.

"Allowed, we will set off for Beidaying. General Li, you have worked hard." Zhu Yijun nodded and said calmly, "The Ming army is so majestic!"

"Your Majesty is mighty!"

"I obey your order!" Li Rusong stood up and walked towards the white elephant behind him. He was wearing armor, but he still climbed onto the white elephant flexibly and picked up the Mo Dao.

Feng Bao flicked his whisk and shouted in a hoarse voice: "Get up!"

The entire ceremony was solemn and dignified. All the officials of the Ming Dynasty followed the ceremonial procession, but they did not march very fast, just slowly.

The Ming Emperor arrived at the loyal Beidaying again. He reined in his horse, looked at the elite soldiers of the Beijing Camp on both sides of the battle array, waved his hand, and shouted loudly: "The Ming army is mighty!"

"Your Majesty is mighty!"

The sharp soldiers of the Beijing camp shouted in unison, shaking the mountains and rivers and reaching the sky.

The shouts that shook the sky startled the birds in the distance and also frightened some people with ulterior motives.

This year's Spring and Autumn Review was no different from previous years. The infantry and cavalry battalions marched in neat and orderly rows across the viewing platform. Then the elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty's Beijing Camp demonstrated the tactics of line-up shooting. The well-trained elite soldiers of the Beijing Camp completed the demonstration amid the smoke of gunpowder.

When the 30-jin cannon slowly passed by the viewing stand, everyone looked at the black muzzle and clearly realized that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was full of martial virtues.

This is a very clear signal that the Ming Dynasty will not stop its military expansion just because of peace in the north. If anyone tries to stir up public opinion, they will be walking on the edge of a knife.

Zhu Yijun looked at the Duke of Fengguo beside him. As he grew older, Qi Jiguang gradually handed over many affairs of the Beijing camp to the new generation of young people. Qi Jiguang is now in charge of military discipline, which is decentralization. After all, he is already the Duke of Fengguo. If he continues to manage every detail like before, it will easily give the emperor the illusion that he is power-hungry.

"Your Majesty?" Qi Jiguang asked doubtfully. His Majesty looked at him for a long time. Qi Jiguang was a little confused. Everything went smoothly during the military review. It showed the neat appearance of the Ming army and intimidated the scoundrels. He successfully completed the task assigned by His Majesty.

Your Majesty, is there something you are dissatisfied with that is inconvenient to mention in front of everyone?
"Nothing, why doesn't General Qi send his two sons to the Beijing Camp?" Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "General Qi has been in charge of the Beijing Camp for many years. I think General Qi's eldest son and third son are both very good and can work in the Beijing Camp."

"Your Majesty, they did not pass the selection of elite soldiers, so they went to the honorary army." Qi Jiguang answered this question.

Qi Jiguang had five sons, all born to concubines. His wife, Wang, was infertile, so Qi Jiguang took three concubines. Two of his sons died young, and the remaining four had already grown up. However, none of the sons of the Duke of Fengguo took up posts in the Beijing camp.

"Li Rusong is twelve years younger than me and should be able to meet the standards set by General Qi." Zhu Yijun felt that Qi Jiguang was too strict with his sons. Zhu Yijun could not meet any of the standards.

The Tiger Force bow weighs 120 jin, has a draw length of 2 feet and 8 points, and can hit nine out of ten arrows. Just this standard is not something Zhu Yijun can achieve.

Among the 100,000 troops in the Beijing garrison, only 28 people were able to achieve this.

Qi Jiguang thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am the Duke of Fengguo. If the children want to enter the Beijing Camp, they must have abilities far beyond ordinary people to convince others. If they cannot convince others sincerely, it is better not to enter."

Qi Jiguang was a great general. When the children entered the Beijing camp, they would definitely receive many preferential treatments, because they would definitely be called Young Marshal Qi and would be stared at by countless pairs of eyes. This involves the word fairness. Since they do not have extraordinary abilities, it is better not to come to the Beijing camp to destroy the little bit of fairness that has been created with great difficulty.

The Beijing Camp is Your Majesty's Beijing Camp, and Qi Jiguang never treated it as his own private property. The people in the Beijing Camp eat Your Majesty's food and wear Your Majesty's clothes.

"Except for the eldest son, the other three sons will be granted the title of General Zhaoyong." Zhu Yijun looked at Qi Jiguang and said, "Don't refuse."

The eldest son will inherit the title of Duke of Fengguo, so it will be the other three sons.

If Qi Jiguang had mastered some skills in commanding his troops, he would not have ended up with his wife and children separated from him, and even had no money to see a doctor when he was sick. It is truly a pity to see a hero of his generation in such a miserable state.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, they set up a small station for military training, which gave rise to Yuan Shikai.

And now, Qi Jiguang even refused to let his son enter the Beijing Camp. Even though Zhu Yijun thought that Qi Jiguang's third son, Qi Changguo, was already capable of taking on important responsibilities, Qi Jiguang still set a high threshold to keep Qi Changguo out and prevent him from coming to the Beijing Camp to be the young commander.

Such a high threshold is set specifically to avoid suspicion.

When Zhu Yijun returned to Tonghe Palace, it was already dusk. He turned on the lime blowtorch and opened the memorials that had been sorted out on the table.

This first memorial made Zhu Yijun frown. Shen Shixing was in trouble. Over the Single Whip Law, the imperial court and local powerful officials were wrestling with each other.

This time it comes with great force.

(End of this chapter)