Zhu Yuanzhang can see my dreams

Chapter 382 The Past Cannot Be Changed
"Father, my son is guilty."

Zhu Di knelt on the ground and uttered a few words.

The behavior of his unfilial descendants really made him, the ancestor, feel very ashamed.

Before, Zhu Di thought that he was wise and powerful after he became emperor, and his sons and grandsons were doing a good job. But how come his descendants became like this?
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said nothing more.

How could he blame Zhu Di for such a thing? Zhu Di did a good job.

It was because Emperor Zhu Qizhen was spoiled, no one could restrain him, and he believed the eunuchs' words, which led to such bad consequences.

He brought it upon himself!
Zhu Yuanzhang felt ashamed that as an emperor, if he did something wrong, he would either die or leave behind a good reputation.

Either he would sleep on firewood and taste gall like Gou Jian, or he would kill Jie Li a few years after the Weishui Alliance like Li Shimin.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt that it would be difficult for Emperor Zhu Qizhen to accomplish such a great feat.

"This has not happened yet. Even if Your Majesty and the Prince of Yan are worried, it is useless. According to my idea, when the Ming Dynasty becomes stronger, it is better to solve the Mongolian problems by ourselves, so that our descendants will not be so unsuccessful in both literature and martial arts."

Wang Buli's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind.

In fact, what he saw was the future of the Ming Dynasty, but will the future of the Ming Dynasty really continue like this?

"If we had dealt with the Mongols within 10 or 20 years, this wouldn't have happened?"

Zhu Di opened his mouth to ask, he really knew very little about the fairyland.

"It can probably be changed, but if you change this kind of thing, something else will happen. After all, the development of things cannot be changed by human will."

Wang Buli sat on the sofa watching the movie: "God knows how the Ming Dynasty will develop in the future?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly upon hearing this.

He sent imperial physicians and doctors to examine the concubines and heirs in the palace every three months. At present, Empress Ma did not have any health problems.

And Zhu Xiongying is also quite strong.

In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang had always been careful and did not let Crown Prince Zhu Biao go out on inspections, so there was a high possibility that he would not contract the disease and would not die midway.

Zhu Yuanzhang currently feels that this is the situation.

So he couldn't predict what the future of the Ming Dynasty would be like.

Then he looked at Wang Buli standing beside him and asked, "What do you think about this?"

"Um, Your Majesty, do you want to analyze the reasons?"

Wang Buli didn't expect Zhu Yuanzhang to recover so quickly, or maybe his inner thoughts at this time were not aligned with Wang Buli's.

"That's right. How did our Ming Dynasty end up like this? We are in the middle of this situation and sometimes we don't understand."

The northern border defense has always been of great importance to the Ming court.

After Zhu Yuanzhang sent General Xu Da to occupy Beijing and Emperor Shun of Yuan fled to Shangdu, he began to work on the defense of the north, and gradually established a relatively straight defense line starting from Liaodong in the east, passing through Daning, Kaiping and Dongsheng.

Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing and adopted an offensive defense strategy against the remnant Yuan Dynasty. He personally led five expeditions to the northern desert and three raids on the enemy's territory, which cost a lot of manpower and material resources, and the border defense was consolidated.

However, in the first year of Yongle, Zhu Di mistakenly moved Daning Dusi (located in present-day Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia) inland, making Daning an empty city.

Zhu Di was stunned for a moment as he knelt on the ground when he heard Wang Buli pointing the spear at him first.

"That's right." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. He set up Daning there for a strategic purpose.

However, when the fourth prince married the world, the Prince of Ning, who was also enfeoffed there, made some excuses about sharing the world, so he was moved to another place, making the place an empty city.

In general, the originally excellent strategic deployment was broken by Zhu Di's selfishness.

Zhu Yuanzhang took over the conversation and said: "Daning controls the passage between the Mongolian Plateau and the Songliao Plain, and its geographical location is very important.

The situation made Xuanfu and Liaozuo united and support each other, becoming the outer barrier of Yan and Ji.

The relocation of the Daning Military Region caused Yan and Ji to the south to lose the Daning outer barrier and become a frontier outpost.
On the other hand, Kaiping Wei to the west of Daning was too prominent and isolated, unable to survive on its own, and had to retreat.

At the same time, the retreat of Daning also allowed Western Mongolia to expand to Liaodong without obstacles, allowing the three guards including Duoyan, who originally lived north of Huangshui (now Shalamulun River), to cross the river south and move freely in and out of the area south of Laoha River and north of the Great Wall, posing a certain threat to the capital.

However, Da Ning was abandoned without defending, Xinghe was lost without taking it, Kaiping was moved inward, and the defense line was withdrawn. This not only made the northern defense line change from relatively straight to circuitous and curved, lengthening the defense line and increasing the difficulty of defense, but also reduced the depth of defense, "closing the gate and exposing the shallowness", allowing the enemy to directly spy on the capital, and the defense of the capital was much weaker than during the Hongwu period. "

As the border garrisons were withdrawn, the military system gradually became disbanded, which became even more obvious during the Zhengtong period.

Wang Buli nodded: "Your Majesty is right. Your strategic vision in military affairs is far superior to ours."

“No need to flatter.”

Zhu Yuanzhang was actually a little discouraged. These people had worked hard to govern the Ming Dynasty, but a prodigal son appeared in the Ming Dynasty. It was really hard to accept.

"I know it."

Zhu Di also knew that he could easily gain the support of Prince Ning because he had promised him.

But how could there be two suns in the world?

It can be said that this was a stupid move, but I can correct it later.

"Then the soldiers in the garrisons deserted. The number of soldiers was reduced. The soldiers in the garrisons deserted. This had already begun during the Hongwu period."

"You're late." Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows: "They started to escape when I was the King of Wu."

Wang Buli really didn't expect Zhu Yuanzhang to reveal his weaknesses, so he nodded slightly.

"Then tell me, why did they run away?"

Zhu Yuanzhang signaled the fourth brother to stand up and there was no need to kneel down and apologize.

Things had already happened. When he saw the Ming Dynasty fall and the emperor hanged himself, Zhu Yuanzhang was so worried that he couldn't sleep well for several days.

How did the Ming Dynasty come to this point?

Zhu Yuanzhang originally thought that the worst and most humiliating period would be the end of the dynasty, and that was indeed what he had seen before.

I never thought that such a thing would happen when the Ming Dynasty's national strength continued to grow.

All the nobles were swept away, and even the emperor was captured by foreign enemies, which immediately resolved many of Zhu Yuanzhang's previous doubts.

How did the Ming Dynasty become so rotten!
The roots are planted here.

Coupled with the fact that the descendants were not very motivated, the Ming Dynasty was bound to go downhill.

Wang Buli said the same old thing: "Your Majesty, the first reason why the soldiers deserted is because of their poor treatment.

They only had one stone of grain per month, which was barely enough to support their wives and children. In addition, the officers exploited them, leaving them with no means of living. They fled at the first opportunity.

Zhu Yuanzhang was quite dissatisfied with this matter: "Then what do you think we should do?"

"You have to pay more."

Zhu Yuanzhang curled his lips. This guy's usual way of dealing with things was to use money to attack others.

"Is it really useful?"

"Your Majesty, it's better to give it a try than to let them die." Wang Buli said nonchalantly, "Perhaps within a year or two, your Majesty's silver and copper mines will be able to continuously generate money. Are you still worried about not having enough money to spend?"

"Is it possible that if we give them money, there won't be any officers who will embezzle it?"

"Of course there will be." Wang Buli didn't think that just adding money would solve the problem:

"It also needs to be coordinated with certain systems, such as setting up inspection teams in the army to check the payment of wages and accepting soldiers' complaints about bullying by superiors. They must be given a channel to appeal.

If things were fair, most of them would choose to live rather than flee.”

"Well, keep talking."

Zhu Yuanzhang always made big promises to others, but today, Wang Buli was the one making big promises for him.

“The second is acclimatization.

The people of the south were exiled to the north, and the people of the north were mostly exiled to the south. They were not used to the climate and water, and they either fled or died.
Their origins are far away, and it is difficult to persuade them to surrender, so the army is often understaffed. "

"This matter cannot be changed." Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand quickly:

"In addition to the relocation of all guilty people, we should take such measures. Besides, we want to make sure that the army is not divided between the north and the south, so that a group of fellow villagers will not gather together to cause trouble."

For soldiers, failing to adapt to the local climate and water could be fatal.

"For this kind of thing, I think we should let the doctor think of more solutions." Zhu Yuanzhang signaled Wang Buli to continue speaking. He would not allow so many fellow villagers to exist in the army.

It would be best if they were from all over the country and had no fellow villagers, so that he would feel at ease.

You have to know that the Ming Dynasty was conquered by him and a group of fellow villagers.

Zhu Yuanzhang was well aware of the ties between fellow villagers!

Wang Buli also failed to hold out: "Secondly, it is the destruction of the military settlements."

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that this was not the first time Wang Buli had mentioned the disadvantages of the military settlement system. The important foundation of the garrison was military settlement.

The destruction of military settlements resulted in insufficient food and salary supply for the soldiers in the garrisons, which was an important reason for the soldiers to desert.

One reason is that the military farms were occupied by powerful officials, wealthy families, and garrison commanders.

Military officers not only seized military farms, but also forced soldiers to farm for them.

Second, the grain management officials of the Ming Dynasty did not ask whether there were any military farms or whether the soldiers were occupied for labor service. They only collected the surplus grain from the military farms and withheld their monthly rations.

The soldiers could not bear the exploitation and abuse and had no choice but to flee.

"There is indeed no military law regarding military farming in the army."

Zhu Yuanzhang certainly knew what the consequences would be if this continued, and he had already seen it.

Therefore, the military settlement system must be changed.

There are too many selfish people in the world!
“This matter is indeed urgent.”

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhu Di to think carefully about how to change the situation and asked him to draft a law.

"Eunuchs supervising the army are causing trouble."

Wang Buli emphasized this point again: "Although eunuchs are an extension of the emperor's power, most eunuchs are not normal inside, and few of them take state affairs to heart."

During the Zhengtong period, not only was there the eunuch Wang Zhen who abused his power in the court, but there were also eunuchs stationed in various places; when the army went out to war, there were eunuchs who supervised the army and the eunuchs who supervised the guns. Although these people who had been convicted did not understand military affairs, they had great power and all their orders were controlled by the military supervisors.

Under the control of these people, even if the generals are talented, it is difficult for them to display their talents, and the army often fails in battles.

"I have always taken precautions against this, but I cannot stop future generations from setting a precedent."

Zhu Yuanzhang knocked his head and said, "I have never thought about this matter, or how to replace the eunuchs. Can I let the female officials pass the message in the palace?

But if they do this, they will have all kinds of tricks, and it is inevitable that there will be women like Shangguan Wan'er who abuse their power."

"I don't have any idea about this matter." Wang Buli said leisurely:

"Unless it is an imperial decree that if a eunuch abuses his power, he can be killed immediately, or an older person can be chosen to inherit the throne."

Zhu Yuanzhang also knew that the emperor was young and if power fell into the hands of others, it would be easy for someone with ulterior motives to take over and exercise power.

However, he pretended not to have heard what Wang Buli said about the elder person succeeding to the throne.

If this happens, there will definitely be chaos in the world.

Sure enough, in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, Wang Buli had no experience in political struggles at all and could even say such foolish words.

Fortunately, this kid is not very smart and can't control the palace at all.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt at ease using such people.

"The most fundamental reason is the corruption and incompetence of military officers."

Wang Buli followed the military officers and complained about corrupt officials.

The desertion of soldiers in the garrisons and the destruction of military farms were all related to the corruption of military officers.

The officers of the garrisons were only concerned with enriching themselves. They would demand monthly payments from the soldiers, or force them to work for private purposes, or withhold monthly rations, or reduce their clothing allowances. There were many reasons for this, and the soldiers were left without food and clothing, for which they had no choice but to flee.

As for the soldiers who deserted, the officers could either take bribes or eat up their monthly rations without asking any questions.

On the other hand, the Ming court did not provide strict training for its military officers, and the system was in name only.

Although the garrisons had schools, they had not yet seen success in the examinations; although the capital had already provided training, it had not yet seen the establishment of military schools. Because the school system was not yet in place, the rules of teaching were not established, and the military examinations had not yet begun, so the results of selecting talents were not evident.

In addition, due to a long period of peace, generals did not want to learn military affairs and were unwilling to learn them. Most of them did not have the talent to command an army or how to use troops. They were just filling in the numbers, so they often suffered defeat when encountering the enemy in battle.

"The Ming Dynasty punishes corrupt officials in the civil service group, but the requirements for military officers are not so strict. They collude with each other to make money. Once they form a force, the bad money will inevitably drive out the good money."

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't refute much after listening to it. The current stage is to find out the gaps and fill them in.

Even though he felt a little uncomfortable, after all, these systems were decided by him.

Now that everything has become a problem, how can I not feel sad?

However, Zhu Yuanzhang still expressed magnanimity and let Wang Buli continue speaking.

"The soldiers' fighting power has weakened."

The garrison troops were not only short of manpower due to desertion of soldiers, but also because of their hereditary nature, the soldiers served for life and most of them were old and weak.

Even for the soldiers, who were a mix of old, weak, young and strong, there was no strict training.

During the Hongwu period, although a series of training systems were established, they were already showing signs of being weakened.

During the Zhengtong period, soldiers were either forced to work as soldiers by officers, or turned to business, or learned skills. The training system became even more lax, resulting in their hands being untrained in how to attack, strike, or stab, their feet being untrained in how to sit, stand, advance, or retreat, their eyes being untrained in recognizing the colors of flags, and their ears being untrained in hearing the beats of gongs and drums, and their hearts being like a flock of birds.

How can such soldiers resist the impact of the Mongolian cavalry?
Since Xuande, there have been no major wars and Ming society has been basically stable.

Under such circumstances, the inherent drawbacks of the Wei-suo military system - hereditary succession and poor treatment of soldiers - were all exposed.

Officers also became increasingly corrupt, coupled with political corruption, these factors worked together to reduce the number of troops, destroy military farms, and the decline of the garrison system. The army lost its due combat effectiveness, resulting in repeated defeats when Yesen launched a large-scale invasion.

"Hereditary system?"

Zhu Yuanzhang finally came to his senses. Wang Buli had been saying that there were problems with the system, and that it was okay for the emperor to be wise, as he could solve most of the problems by force.

But once even the emperor is weak, there is no point in solving any problem. The Ming Dynasty will go downhill and be doomed.

"They are all meritorious officials who followed me to conquer the world. How can I let their descendants not enjoy the benefits of living together with the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang could no longer sit still, so he stood up and walked around for a few rounds: "What you said about abolishing the hereditary system is definitely inappropriate.

But we can't let them go to work directly, they still have to go to military school to learn something.

As for the soldiers, all of them have become old, weak, sick and disabled. We have seen the recruitment system of Qi Jiguang and others. Giving soldiers money can help them win battles, but the court does not have that much money to support so many people. "

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Wang Buli meaningfully and said: "The hereditary system can preserve the source of soldiers for the Ming Dynasty. It would cost an astronomical amount to support so many soldiers every year, and we are also worried about the Wei Bo Ya Bing incident."

“Then I don’t know what the solution is.”

Wang Buli certainly knew that as a founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang had a lot to consider, and many of the ancestral systems he had established could not be changed.

But there happened to be a rebellious descendant, Jiajing, who often found faults in the ancestral system and went against it.

Zhu Yuanzhang could understand what Wang Buli meant. There is no system in the world that can defend against anything!

"Forget it, forget it. Let me think about this matter more first."

Zhu Yuanzhang held his forehead and said, "After so many ups and downs, I am a little tired, let's take a rest first."

Then he disappeared.

Zhu Di sat aside and looked at Wang Buli: "Brother-in-law, I still feel ashamed."

“I still don’t see enough.”

"You don't have to comfort me."

Zhu Di shook his head at Wang Buli's words: "We can find it in history, and it is only this unique. I have caught up with it. What do you want me to do?"

"Old Four." Wang Buli glanced at him:
"You were so busy blaming yourself just now that you didn't understand what your father and I said?

Every decision we make today can affect what happens in the future that you see.

In other words, maybe you can avoid this ending, but you will face another ending.

The future is the most difficult to control, and it cannot be changed by human will."

Zhu Di sat aside, savoring Wang Buli's words carefully.

It was Xu Miaoyun who spoke first: "You mean, if we have a child this year, we still call him Zhu Gaoxu, but he may not be the Zhu Gaoxu we see?"

Wang Buli nodded quickly after hearing this:

“That’s pretty much it, because before you knew this future situation, you acted according to the future events shown here.

But you know in advance that if you don’t make the choice you made at that time, the future will become uncertain.”

"hiss."

Zhu Di listened to Xu Miaoyun's explanation and nodded repeatedly. So that's how it is.

"If something changes, then our eldest son Gao Chi may not be able to give birth to our good grandson."

Facing Zhu Di's question, Wang Buli nodded: "You understand it correctly."

(End of this chapter)