The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 257 The danger comes from stagnation

Hearing the "mission given by history", Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestors and grandson were a little excited and easily accepted this concept.

As a civilization that values ​​ancestor worship and is best at recording history, the Chinese have a different sentiment towards 'history'.

Leaving a name in history is the highest pursuit in one's life.

Assassins in the pre-Qin period were willing to sacrifice their lives in order to leave their names in history.

Huan Wen of the Eastern Jin Dynasty even said, "If a man cannot be famous for a century, he should be infamous for thousands of years."

Naturally, Zhu Yuanzhang's ancestors and grandson also wanted to leave a name in history, to be comparable to the Ming monarchs of the past dynasties, and even wanted to surpass the monarchs of the past dynasties in terms of achievements.

Zhu Xiongying said excitedly: "The mission of history has been handed over to Ming Dynasty. We must seize the opportunity and create an unprecedented prosperous age."

Zhu Yuanzhang liked his ambition very much: "It's good if my dear grandson has this ambition."

Zhu Biao said: "How can a prosperous age be created so easily? Although Jing Ke proposed various reforms, he also came up with an imperial plan."

"But whether this move is right or wrong depends on where your Majesty will lead the Ming Dynasty."

"But none of us know what the final outcome will be, so we can only move forward step by step."

"In the 13th year of Hongwu's founding of the Ming Dynasty, His Majesty abolished the prime minister system, completely ending the struggle between imperial power and prime minister power for more than a thousand years."

"Xia, Shang and Zhou adopted a feudal system, where the emperor and the princes ruled the world together."

"The power of the world is vested in the hands of the Emperor, and His Majesty has achieved absolute dictatorship in the true sense."

"All the changes in the Ming Dynasty were able to be implemented smoothly, which also benefited from this."

Chen Jingke praised: "Your Majesty's ability to think this way has surpassed most monarchs in history."

Chen Jingke said: "Yes, centralization of power means that the emperor's authority is getting bigger and bigger."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "No, we are not wise at all."

"The emperor also had to compromise with them..."

"Any policy can be implemented..."

Chen Jingke said: "The other thing is about the people, or about human rights."

Zhu Biao frowned and reminded, "Jing Ke, be careful what you say."

Zhu Biao was shocked and asked: "What did you find in history?"

"During the Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, aristocratic families were powerful and powerful. They monopolized the path to officialdom by mastering knowledge."

Zhu Yuanzhang also immediately sat up straight. The familiar smell came again, and the class started.

"After the unification of the Qin Dynasty, the feudal system was changed to a county system, and every county magistrate had to be personally appointed by the monarch."

Chen Jingke cleared his throat and said, "First of all, it's about the country and the court. The development of the country is actually the process of centralization."

"Power was once again centralized and the emperor's power was once again enhanced."

"In the past, we have always regarded the world as private property and the people as slaves. Only today do we know what the emperor is."

"In the Han, Sui and Tang dynasties, if the emperor dared to depose the prime minister, it would definitely cause an uproar."

Chen Jingke nodded and said: "At present, this is indeed the case. The emperor's monopoly of power can reduce unnecessary internal friction."

"The princes and kings have great power and can even replace the emperor."

"Jing Ke, your analysis has relieved our worries."

Chen Jingke said: "Your Majesty is wise."

"Actually, we feel a little guilty about abolishing the prime minister system. We don't know whether it is the right thing to do."

"In my Ming Dynasty, almost no one dared to object, and His Majesty achieved his goal easily."

"My reforms were not imagined out of thin air, but were the result of observing history, sorting out the context of the country's development, and deducing it from it."

"From the original loose tribal alliance to the establishment of a more rigorous country, it was an enhancement of the monarch's power."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said: "What he said is the truth. There is nothing to fear from outsiders here."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "If we can achieve national peace and prosperity, this move will be wise, and history will rate it highly."

"If you can't do it, you will be reviled by everyone in the world. We understand this."

Zhu Yuanzhang was very proud: "Are you saying that deposing the prime minister is in line with the trend of history?"

"At the end of the Tang Dynasty, powerful families were eliminated. When the Song Dynasty was established, there was no longer any force that could restrain the imperial power, and the emperor's power was further strengthened."

"If he cannot correctly understand his responsibilities, there is a high probability that he will be infamy for thousands of years."

"The next step is to see how we shoulder the responsibility given by history."

Chen Jingke said: "Yes, the emperor has all the power and bears the burden of the world on himself."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "Every decision we make affects tens of millions of people, so it is better to be cautious."

Chen Jingke naturally couldn't tell them that these were future trends, but he had already thought of another explanation:
"As I said just now, the system was established a long time ago."

Zhu Biao asked in confusion: "Centralization?"

Zhu Yuanzhang just smiled and said: "Go on, besides centralization, what else have you discovered?"

human rights?

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows and said, "I remember you said this word to Fang Xiaoru, and asked him to observe and think about its profound meaning."

Chen Jingke was not surprised that he knew about this and replied:
"Yes, human rights are the most basic rights of human beings."

"China's thousands of years of history can also be seen as a history of continuous improvement of human rights."

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Oh, tell us in detail."

Zhu Biao also showed his intention to listen.

Chen Jingke said: "People at the lowest level in the pre-Qin period were imprisoned in the village from birth and were not allowed to leave until they were old, sick, or dead."

"They don't have their own surnames, they don't even deserve to have their own names, and their status is about the same as that of livestock."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face became a little ugly.

It wasn't directed at Chen Jingke, but thinking about myself.

Although they have surnames, they still do not deserve formal names.

His grandfather's name was Zhu Chuyi, his father's name was Zhu Wusi, and he was a member of the family line, so he was named Zhu Chongba.

It sounds like they are ordinary people with household registration, but in fact they are just two-legged animals.

Chen Jingke didn't notice his change and said to himself:
"The Qin State's reform adopted the military merit system, and the people at the bottom finally had the opportunity to achieve a class jump."

"The implementation of the road guide system gives people the opportunity to leave the village and see the outside world."

"When the unification of the Qin Dynasty re-entered the household registration, the most ordinary people also had their own surnames."

"The people have finally gained a certain amount of power. Although this power is very small, it is still stronger than before."

"In the Tang Dynasty, the village was still surrounded by high walls, and the city was separated by Fang City. It was very difficult for people to go out."

"There must be a way in and out of the city. If the person guarding the city gate lets people in or out without a way without permission, he will be punished."

"In the Song Dynasty, the walls of villages and towns were demolished, and the road guide system was further liberalized, so people could enter and exit the city at will."

"Although I despise the Song Dynasty, they did a really good job at this point."

"Learning was completely popularized during this period, and ordinary people also had the opportunity to read and become literate."

“Although it’s difficult, it’s a huge improvement from before when I didn’t have any opportunities.”

"According to historical records, the population movement in the Song Dynasty was very frequent."

"Many landless people gathered in major cities and made a living by working for others."

"The frequent population movement promoted the exchange of technology, and the productivity of the Song Dynasty developed very rapidly."

"Porcelain, silk, sugar, shipbuilding, navigation, industry and commerce, etc., all flourished."

"Take steel production as an example. At its peak, the annual output reached 10 million kilograms..."

"It can be seen from the above that with the development of history, people are gradually gaining more basic rights."

"The shackles on their bodies were taken off little by little."

“This is the trend of history, and those who go against it will be drowned by the current.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression became extremely unnatural, because he was the one swimming against the current.

At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, he formulated an extremely strict population system. People are forcibly divided into occupations, people are not allowed to change, and population mobility is restricted.

Although many policies have been changed after Chen Jingke's correction, some are still implemented.

Moreover, he did not fully support Chen Jingke's theory.

“Population mobility does facilitate communication, but it also creates great instability.”

"In order to solve this problem, the Song Dynasty had to recruit young people from the refugees into the Xiang army, which led to an extremely serious problem of redundant troops."

"We, the Ming Dynasty, must learn from the lessons learned from the past."

Chen Jingke retorted: "It is difficult for people to see problems beyond the times. This was the case for the monarchs and ministers of the Song Dynasty."

"They ignore the benefits of population mobility and only see the drawbacks."

"Then he used a method he could understand to solve this shortcoming, thus causing the problem of redundant troops."

"In fact, there are better ways to solve this problem."

Zhu Yuanzhang said curiously: "Oh, how to solve it?"

Chen Jingke said: "Industry and commerce, sea trade was developed in the Song Dynasty, and the products produced were sold all over the world."

"If they build large-scale workshops, they recruit refugees to do the work."

"It can not only solve the problem of refugees, but also produce more goods and obtain greater profits from maritime trade."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head repeatedly and said: "It's not right, it's not right. With so many young people gathered together, it's easy to cause trouble."

Chen Jingke sighed: "Your Majesty still doesn't understand. People will rebel only if they can't survive."

"Who wants to kill their heads when they have a mouthful of food to eat?"

Zhu Yuanzhang still insisted on his opinion: "You may be right, but the court cannot take this risk."

"Besides, if productivity develops slower, the impact will not be significant."

"We can't take such big risks just because of this little benefit."

Chen Jingke didn't find it strange. If Zhu Yuanzhang supported his theory, there would be a problem.

Even Zhu Biao did not support his solution.

For them, restricting population movement is the wisdom left by their predecessors and the most correct way to deal with it.

"Your Majesty, there is more than just Ming Dynasty in this world."

"While we stand still, others will not stop and wait for us."

"Sooner or later, some country will surpass us and invade us."

Zhu Yuanzhang said disapprovingly: "Don't be alarmist. Even if the productivity of a country exceeds ours, so what?"

"My Ming Dynasty has a million-strong army, so why should we fear powerful enemies?"

Zhu Biao also nodded in agreement.

Even Zhu Xiongying had some doubts.

Chen Jingke sighed inwardly, they didn't know what productivity meant at all.

I probably thought it was just about weaving more cloth and making more exquisite items and utensils.

It seems it's time to give them a big shock.

Thinking of this, he grabbed Zhu Xiongying's pen, took out a piece of white paper and drew a few patterns.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked over and asked doubtfully: "What is this?"

Chen Jingke explained: "This is a brand new firecracker in my imagination. It is a custom-made metal bullet."

"The outer shell is made of copper or iron, and a fixed amount of gunpowder is sealed inside."

"A small flint-like thing is installed at the bottom..."

"A firing pin is installed in the gun, and the firing pin strikes the flint at the bottom, thereby igniting the internal gunpowder and launching the warhead."

"If this design can be realized, from now on the fire gun will no longer be afraid of water, and the shooting speed will be increased by more than ten times."

"By that time, firecrackers will completely replace bows and crossbows and become the most important equipment in the army."

Zhu Yuanzhang knew very well how powerful this kind of firecracker would be once it came true, and he exclaimed:
"What a genius idea. Let's let the people from the Ordnance Bureau study it..."

Chen Jingke stopped: "Your Majesty, the people in the Ordnance Bureau haven't even studied matchlock muskets and flintlock muskets. It's a bit overwhelming for them to study this."

"Furthermore, the most important thing about this kind of firecracker is the fixed-loading of ammunition. Even if it is researched, it cannot be mass-produced and has no practical significance."

"Moreover, the power of this fire gun is not worth mentioning compared to the other mechanical gun I imagined."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard that there was something better, he quickly urged:

"Machine gun? Tell us what it looks like."

Chen Jingke drew a sketch of Gatling on the paper and drew a bullet chain.

"This is the bullet chain, responsible for delivering bullets to the machine gun."

"As long as you keep turning this wheel, bullets will rain out..."

"No matter how many armies there are, they are all vulnerable to it."

"Hiss..." Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but take a breath of cold air. He seemed to have seen the scene of wheat harvesting.

Zhu Biao's eyes twitched. This weapon can be called a killing machine.

In the face of this kind of weapon, it is difficult to win based on numbers.

Zhu Xiongying said excitedly: "Okay, okay, if we can build this kind of machine gun, our army of the Ming Dynasty will definitely sweep across the world."

Chen Jingke poured cold water on it and said: "But this is just an idea. It is impossible to do it with the current productivity."

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and said: "It turns out that productivity is still so useful, but we are too short-sighted."

Chen Jingke, however, was not ready to let them go just yet, and continued:

"The Mongolian expedition to the west passed the gunpowder production technology to the countries in the far west, and the people there have already made firecrackers and artillery."

"Every weapon I can think of, they can also think of."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face became extremely ugly, and it took him a long time to utter a sentence:

"The Mongols do a lot of harm to people."

Chen Jingke continued to add fuel to the fire: "Your Majesty has already seen the temperature difference engine and has imagined its various uses."

The thermoelectric engine spread first in the palace, and then outside the palace, and soon became a new toy among aristocrats and bureaucrats.

Many people have opened their minds and developed its uses.

Some people thought about whether it could drive a millstone, some tried to drive a carriage, and some thought about mounting it on a ship.

However, the practicality of the temperature difference engine is indeed not strong. At least with the current level of technology, it cannot be put into practical use.

In the end, it can only be used to drive a fan to blow cool air to people.

"In the Far Western Countries, there is a machine similar to a thermoelectric engine called a steam engine."

"It is a machine driven by the power of steam."

"This machine is very practical and can be used to drive carriages and ships."

"It's just that their research is still relatively backward and they are unable to put it into practical use."

"However, people have been researching it for hundreds of years, and sooner or later they will be able to build a practical steam engine."

"At that time, they can put the steam engine on the ship and cross the ocean to appear on the coastline of the Ming Dynasty."

"Steam engines can also be mounted on cars and used as transportation tools."

"If you install iron plates around the vehicle, it becomes an armored vehicle, which is truly invulnerable."

"If you install artillery and muskets on steamships and steam cars, they will be an invincible weapon."

"If Ming Dynasty did not follow the trend of history, but chose to stagnate or even go against the current."

"Sooner or later, the countries in the far west will knock on your door."

"When the time comes, how will Ming deal with the enemy's torrent of steel?"

(End of this chapter)