King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

Before the cheers in the laboratory had faded away, Zhu Tan could not wait to bring his new musket to the palace to meet the emperor.

He jogged all the way, not realizing that his clothes were soaked with sweat, his mind full of the expression Zhu Yuanzhang would have when he saw this "magic weapon".

"Father! Father! I succeeded!"

Zhu Tan arrived before the sound, stepped into the imperial study, and raised high in his hand the musket that was flashing with cold light.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright behind the dragon desk, reviewing memorials.

Hearing Zhu Tan's voice, he frowned slightly and put down the red brush in his hand, "You rebellious son, how can you be so impatient! Tell me, what new thing have you come up with?"

"Father, look!" Zhu Tan presented the musket to Zhu Yuanzhang like a treasure. "This is a new musket that I and the craftsmen have worked hard to build. It is far more powerful than before! Even from a hundred steps away, every bullet hits its target!"

Zhu Yuanzhang took the musket and looked at it carefully.

Compared with previous ones, this musket has a more exquisite shape, the gun body has a black metallic luster, and the buttstock is carved with delicate cloud patterns, which has obviously been carefully polished.

"Oh? Is it really as bad as you say?"

Zhu Yuanzhang became interested and said, "Let's go to the training ground and try it out for ourselves!"

After saying that, he stood up and strode out of the imperial study. Zhu Tan followed closely behind him, unable to hide the smug look on his face.

When he arrived at the parade ground, Zhu Yuanzhang took the gunpowder and lead bullets handed to him by Zhu Tan, loaded the musket skillfully, and aimed at the target a hundred steps away.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, a flash of fire appeared, and the lead bullet hit the bull's eye accurately with a whistling sound!

Zhu Yuanzhang put down the musket, his face full of amazement, "Good! Good! This musket is really powerful! It is many times more powerful than the ones we used before!"

Zhu Tan was standing by, his eyebrows already dancing with joy, "Father, this new type of musket is not only powerful and has a long range, but also has a higher accuracy! With it, our Ming army will be even more powerful and will surely sweep across the world!"

Zhu Yuanzhang put away his smile and sighed, "Ah, this musket is good, but how much does it cost?"

"This..." Zhu Tan's smile froze, "Father, the materials and craftsmanship used in this new musket are both top-notch, and the cost is indeed very high..."

"Alas," Zhu Yuanzhang handed the musket back to Zhu Tan, "Our Ming Dynasty has a vast territory and millions of troops. If we want to fully replace them with this new type of musket, I'm afraid it will be difficult to do even if we spend all the money in the national treasury!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tan took a step forward calmly.

"Father, have you forgotten that Japan has been conquered by us? There are a lot of iron ore there. I have ordered people to establish a complete smelting and manufacturing chain in Japan, so that Japanese officials can continuously transport resources back to Ming."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed, "Oh? Is this true?"

"Absolutely true!" Zhu Tan was full of confidence. "I had expected that the emperor would have such concerns, so I made preparations in advance. Now, resources from Japan have begun to be shipped to Ming. I believe that it won't be long before we can build enough new muskets to equip our Ming army!"

After listening to this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, "Good! Good! You are really thoughtful! I was right about you!" He patted Zhu Tan on the shoulder, "This matter is of great importance. You must supervise it well and never slack off!"

"Don't worry, father. I will do my best!" Zhu Tan promised, patting his chest.

"Well," Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, "You should hurry up and make this batch of muskets, and then send them to the border of Peking as soon as possible. Lao Si's army has been fighting against the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty for many years, and they need this kind of weapon!"

"Your son obeys your order!" Zhu Tan accepted the order.

Zhu Tan was delighted to see Zhu Yuanzhang's face, but he did not show it. He just pretended to be respectful and asked:

"Father, I have presented you with a new type of musket and solved the armament problem for the Ming Dynasty. I have made a great contribution. How will you reward me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang burst into laughter, pointed at Zhu Tan and cursed:
"You kid, all you think about is rewards! Tell me, what do you want? Gold, silver, jewelry, silk, or good fields and beautiful maids?"

Zhu Tan shook his head and said seriously:
"Father, I have everything I need. I just want you to promise me one thing."

"Oh? Is there anything else you don't want?" Zhu Yuanzhang became interested and asked with interest, "Tell me, what is it?"

Zhu Tan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"Father, I have previously proposed to you that we should abolish the system of slavery in the Ming Dynasty. I wonder what your Majesty thinks about this?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face suddenly faded, and the originally relaxed atmosphere became solemn.

He remained silent, just staring at Zhu Tan, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Zhu Tan knew that this matter touched Zhu Yuanzhang's bottom line.

Zhu Yuanzhang was born in poverty and had a natural sympathy for the people, which was one of the important reasons why he was able to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty and establish the Ming Dynasty.

But he was also a feudal emperor who still retained the traditional concept of hierarchy in his bones. Although he did not approve of the system of slavery, he did not completely deny it.

This can be seen from his attitude towards eunuchs.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang valued eunuchs, he despised them deep down in his heart and believed that they were "eunuchs" and "incomplete men."

He once issued a regulation prohibiting eunuchs from interfering in government affairs, and violators would be executed immediately.

The caste system was like a deep chasm that forever excluded a group of people from mainstream society, making them bear shame and discrimination for generations, with no chance of a way out.

In order to convince Zhu Yuanzhang, he must understand that abolishing the slave system was not only for the sake of those suffering slaves, but also for the eternal prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

"Father."

Zhu Tan took a step forward and said sincerely:
"I know that you are a good emperor who loves his people like his own children. You established the system of slavery to maintain social order and prevent crime. But now that the Ming Dynasty has been established for many years, the social order is in good order, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, this system of slavery has become a cancer that hinders the development of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Oh? How do you say this?"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly and motioned Zhu Tan to continue.

Zhu Tan sorted out his thoughts and said slowly:
"Father, this system of slaves seems to be for punishing criminals and maintaining social stability, but in fact it has caused many injustices and conflicts. Those who were demoted to slaves were originally good people, but because their ancestors made mistakes, they have to bear the guilt for generations and will never be able to turn over a new leaf."

"They are filled with resentment and dissatisfaction, but have nowhere to vent it, which will only breed more crime and endanger social stability."

"Not only that, this system of slavery has also seriously hindered the development of our Ming Dynasty."

"Those untouchables, although they are of low status, they are also hardworking and intelligent."

"Among them, there are many skilled craftsmen and business geniuses."

"But because of their status as lowly people, they cannot display their talents and can only work in those menial jobs all their lives, wasting their talents in vain." "I think that the Ming Dynasty should give everyone a fair opportunity so that they can change their destiny through their own efforts and contribute to the country."

"Only in this way can we truly achieve peace and prosperity for our country and make our Ming Dynasty last forever!"

After listening to Zhu Tan's words, Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought.

How could he not know what Zhu Tan said?

But as an emperor, he cannot consider issues based solely on emotions, but must also take the overall situation into consideration.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a long while, his brows furrowed, as if he had a knot that could not be untied.

"Old Ten, I know what you said. But once the status of slaves is abolished, it will inevitably cause turmoil in the court. I'm afraid those aristocratic families will be the first to jump out and oppose it!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tan sneered, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone:

"Father, you are the emperor, are you afraid of them? Back then, you raised an army to rebel against the Yuan Dynasty. As a commoner, you eventually overthrew the hundreds of years of Yuan Dynasty rule and established the Ming Dynasty. Who in the world can compare to you in terms of courage and bravery?"

Zhu Tan's words really touched Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

The thing he was most proud of in his life was that he rose from a humble background to the throne of the emperor.

How could ordinary people imagine the difficulties and obstacles they experienced?

There was a gleam in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, but he did not respond immediately. He just looked at Zhu Tan quietly, as if trying to see through what he was thinking.

Zhu Tan was not afraid at all. He met Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze and continued:
"Father, do you know why those kings who founded the country were able to achieve great achievements, but their descendants were mostly mediocre?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's heart moved. He had thought about this question before, but he never found the answer.

"that is because……"

Zhu Tan spoke in a steady and resounding tone:
"The founding emperors came from humble backgrounds and experienced hardships, so they knew how to cherish the hard-earned country and understood the sufferings of the people. They dared to break the old order and establish a new system, because they knew that only in this way could the country be long-term stable and the people live and work in peace and contentment."

"Their descendants have been pampered since childhood and do not understand the suffering of the people, nor do they know how to govern the country. They stick to the old ways and dare not reform, which will eventually lead to the decline of the country and the suffering of the people."

At this point, Zhu Tan paused and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with burning eyes.

"Father, you are a rare wise ruler. You care about the people. You hope that the Ming Dynasty can last for thousands of years and last forever. But this requires you to make changes, break the old order and establish a new system!"

"Abolishing the system of slavery may seem to cause unrest in the court, but in the long run, it will benefit the country and the people. Those aristocratic families may oppose it, but as long as you insist, they will eventually have no choice but to compromise."

"Father, you must know that merits are for generations to come, not for the present! You are a wise and powerful emperor, and you will definitely make the most correct choice!"

Zhu Tan's words praised Zhu Yuanzhang to the sky, but Zhu Yuanzhang just fell for it!
Throughout his life of military service, what he most desired was to be recorded in history and become a wise ruler admired by future generations.

"Okay!" Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table, stood up, and his eyes flashed with determination. "Tan'er, you are right! I cannot be bound by those corrupt systems. I want to create a new era for the Ming Dynasty and the people!"

"I hereby decree that the pariah system will be abolished from today! All pariahs will be restored to the status of good citizens and enjoy the same rights as other people!"

"Father."

Zhu Tan rolled his eyes and said, "I have something else to report."

Zhu Yuanzhang was in a good mood and waved his hand, "Tell me, what's the matter?"

Zhu Tan smiled slightly and said with a folded hand:
"I just came up with a plan that may add to the eternal legacy of our Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was very pleased to hear his words and laughed:

"Oh? Old Ten, what other ingenious ideas do you have? Tell us quickly!"

"Father, I have come up with another whip method!" Zhu Tan pretended to be mysterious and paused, observing Zhu Yuanzhang's expression before continuing, "This method is called 'Returning the Fire Consumption to the Public'!"

"The fire consumption belongs to the public?"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. He was certainly familiar with this term, but he didn't know what Zhu Tan was up to.

"Father, think about it. The people pay taxes mostly in the form of grain, cloth and other physical objects, which are inconvenient to transport. Local officials use the excuse of loss to levy additional taxes privately, calling it 'fire consumption'."

When Zhu Tan said this, there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally knew what huohao was. It was almost an open secret. Local officials were embezzling money. How could he, as an emperor, not know about it?

However, this problem has been around for a long time and it is not easy to eradicate it.

"Tenth brother, please continue." Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice, with a gleam in his eyes.

"Father, I think that since the fire consumption is a transportation loss, it should be borne by the court. The people only need to pay the regular taxes according to the law. As for the fire consumption, the court will allocate funds from the national treasury and distribute them to local officials."

Zhu Tan calmly put forward his solution.

"Hmm..." Zhu Yuanzhang pondered in silence, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, as if weighing the pros and cons.

"Father," Zhu Tan added fuel to the fire when he saw this, "Think about it, this fire consumption will be returned to the public. It may seem that the court will have to spend more money, but in fact it has many benefits!"

"Oh? Tell me about it." Zhu Yuanzhang became interested.

"First of all, this move can reduce the burden on the people. The people only need to pay the regular taxes and no longer have to worry about being levied additional taxes. In this way, the people will naturally be grateful to the court!"

Zhu Tan spoke eloquently and in a loud voice.

"Secondly, the fire consumption tax will be uniformly managed by the imperial court, which will facilitate the standardization of taxation and prevent local officials from embezzling and engaging in corruption. In this way, the national treasury revenue will inevitably increase significantly!"

"Finally, the imperial court unified the distribution of huo hao to control local finances and prevent local forces from becoming too powerful and threatening the imperial court's rule."

Zhu Tan's words were very insightful and went straight to the heart of the matter.

Zhu Yuanzhang had spent his entire life in military service and was well aware of the sufferings of the people. He also understood the harm that corrupt officials posed to national rule.

The public ownership of fire consumption may seem simple, but it is actually a brilliant move that can win the hearts of the people, enrich the national treasury, and strengthen central power.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said "yes" three times in a row, obviously very satisfied with Zhu Tan's proposal. (End of this chapter)