unclear

Chapter 829: Politicians are Selfless

"Your Majesty is wise..." Yuan Keli breathed a sigh of relief. He had never gotten used to this emperor, but he always chose to follow him because they always felt a connection.

No matter what you say, you rarely need to finish it, and it is even more impossible to repeat it. Most of the time, the emperor will understand as long as you start, and can quickly come up with a solution. Who doesn't want to have a confidant? Even half of it is precious.

"Does Li Qing think that this matter should be handled by the navy or the court?"

But Hong Tao also has some annoying aspects, which far outweigh his likable ones. For example, he clearly knew what Yuan Keli wanted to ask, but he just didn't say it directly, and had to discuss it in a roundabout way.

"…Are we going to let the people and the natives fight to the death?" Yuan Keli loved to be fooled, and he had to get to the bottom of it. He not only wanted to know the facts, but also the reasons.

"What else can we do? The imperial court has no government office in Xiaoliuqiu, and they don't even know who the natives are. The Ming Dynasty laws are just a piece of paper there. The people of Fujian did not follow the imperial court's orders to go to the island to farm, but did it on their own initiative.

Since they have no name or status, the navy cannot interfere in the name of suppressing bandits, so let them do whatever they want. However, I have a kind heart and I cannot watch the Fujian people suffer more casualties.

In this way, we can take out a portion of the baggage of the disbanded border troops and distribute it to the Fujian people who come to the island in the form of loans. With armor and crossbows to protect themselves, there should be fewer casualties, and I can sleep peacefully. "

What did Hong Tao want Yuan Keli to understand? It had nothing to do with the fighting on Xiaoliuqiu, but a governing philosophy, or a rule.

Xiaoliuqiu was included in the list of countries that Zhu Yuanzhang would not conquer. That is to say, according to legal theory, Xiaoliuqiu was a foreign country and was not under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty, so it did not have to abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

There was a dispute between the Fujian people and the natives on the island, and no matter how you look at it, you can't find a tenable reason. You can't say that you went to plant trees in someone's yard and were blocked, and then you have to blame the hospitality for not being warm.

But from the perspective of the nation, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty should safeguard the interests of the people of the Ming Dynasty. Now the question is, should it be handled according to the law or according to reason?

Hong Tao had no right to care what others thought, as the emperor he had the right to make the final decision. It was also a model to guide similar problems that might occur in the future.

So he chose the rule of law. He could not bully the weak just because the Ryukyu Kingdom was small and had few people. Reason still needed to be followed, especially as an emperor or the court, whose every move was to set an example for the people.

If the emperor and the court are unreasonable and take the lead in not abiding by the law, even if they gain an advantage in the short term, they will lose in the long run because such behavior will lead the people astray. When society is filled with a large number of people who cannot distinguish right from wrong, the country will also be doomed.

But being reasonable does not mean that you cannot take advantage. Only mediocre people would think so. A wise politician would use wisdom to have both, both legal and advantageous.

What should be done? Isn't this a show for Yuan Keli on the spot? The court does not interfere in the disputes of the people, but the court can appropriately relax certain policies and provide certain conveniences to make the people of its own country stronger, and naturally it will gain an advantage. If the people gain any advantage outside, it means that the country will gain.

Isn't that a bit immoral, shameless and shameless? Of course, as an emperor or a minister, if you consider your own face first when doing everything, it would be a serious dereliction of duty.

Regardless of whether it is granted by heaven, gods or people, to be able to sit in this position, one should definitely not pursue face. In a big way, it is to shepherd the people on behalf of heaven, to ensure that the people are well fed, clothed and even rich and happy. In a small way, it is to realize ideals and make one's own ideas work. So no matter what kind of problems are encountered, the people can be selfish, the gentry can be selfish, but the officials and the emperor cannot be selfish. Consider the gains and losses of the country first, and after meeting this premise, take the time to think about whether you can gain both fame and fortune. This is what a good emperor and a good official do.

"...Will this cause Xiaoliuqiu to fall into chaos?" Yuan Keli understood most of what he heard. The more he listened, the wetter his back became. His tight clothes were already soaked with cold sweat.

The emperor talked about benevolence, righteousness, and morality all the time, and no one could find fault with him. But if they really did as he said, the casualties of the people in Fujian would indeed be reduced, but the natives of Xiaoliuqiu would suffer.

They were still in the stage of slash-and-burn farming, gathering and hunting. They were holding bamboo spears and stone axes. Despite the advantage of the terrain, they could not defeat the Fujian people who were wearing armor, carrying iron helmets, carrying steel knives and holding bows and crossbows.

It is hard to say whether they can still be considered as the people. It was with great difficulty that the pirates on Xiaoliuqiu were wiped out. If these planters become accustomed to fighting and killing from then on, it seems that it will be of no benefit to the court, and it may even be impossible to collect taxes.

"That's a good reason to send troops to wipe them out! Li Qing, you seem to have softened your heart since you left the navy. Facing tens of thousands of brave and skilled Mongolian and Jurchen cavalry, the Ming army and navy have never been defeated. Why would you care about wiping out a few bandits?
Whoever abides by the rules is a citizen of the Ming Dynasty, and I will do everything I can to protect them. If anyone does not abide by the rules, I will also do everything I can to get rid of them. It is that simple. I am only the maker and guardian of the rules, not a kind father or a saint. "

If Yuan Keli hadn't asked this question, Hong Tao would have been unable to continue teaching. It is not enough to be ruthless to outsiders. Within the same set of rules, there is no distinction between who is close and who is far away based on blood, nationality, class, etc. The only standard is the rules themselves.

Didn’t the ancients say that those who follow me will prosper and those who go against me will perish? Now Hong Tao wants to change a few words, so that it becomes those who follow the rules will prosper and those who go against the rules will perish.

"As far as I know, there are quite a few indigenous people on the island, probably about 100,000."

Well, the more Yuan Keli listened, the more he regretted it. He really shouldn't have mentioned this to the emperor. Now it was no longer a matter of civil war. The emperor wanted to use the hands of the Fujian plantation owners to wipe out the natives of Xiaoliuqiu, and then naturally take it over to the court.

Moreover, he did not want to spend even a tael of silver, and even borrowed his armor and weapons. The sound of the abacus beads could be heard in Manila Harbor. If I said one more word, at least tens of thousands of lives would be lost. If that didn't work, I had to try to persuade them, and try to punish the masses with the law.

"...Well, one hundred thousand..." Hey, it seems possible. The emperor hesitated, stroking his chin.

"Leave this matter to Sun Moon Bank, and the Navy should not interfere, but you need to know the specific arrangements. I will ask Sun Moon Bank to privately inform the people who go to Xiaoliuqiu to plant saplings that they can use the natives to repay the loan.

In this way, they would not kill innocent people indiscriminately, and send the captives to Annan or Luzon, where the plantations needed slaves. Not many, only 30,000 natives, Zuo Guangdou could turn the Luzon Special Zone into a granary within five years.

At that time, no matter whether Shandong, Zhili, Shanxi, or Shaanxi are hit by disasters, the court will no longer have to worry about disaster relief grain. Li Qing, you have made a great contribution. I will tell Zuo Guangdou about this and ask him to pick two concubines for you in Luzon. "

Hong Tao really didn't know how many natives there were in Xiaoliuqiu, and he had never asked about it. Now that he knew the exact number, he wanted to slap himself ten times. So many strong laborers had been wandering around under his nose for more than ten years without him noticing. He was so careless!
"The minister will leave..."

Yuan Keli also wanted to slap himself a few times. He couldn't talk about this matter any more. The more he talked about it, the more serious his sin would be. Besides, the blame would tend to fall on his head. If Zuo Guangdou really brought two little girls, the whole court would laugh their heads off.

(End of this chapter)