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

"As long as your highness likes it, that's fine."

Lord Wang put on a smile but was secretly complaining in his heart.

He spent a huge amount of money to buy this Biluochun from Jiangnan, just to please His Royal Highness the Prince of Lu.

"Your Highness, although Biluochun is delicious, you can't drink too much. The sun is getting hotter and hotter. Let's go back to the mansion first. When the riverbank is repaired, I will set up a banquet to entertain Your Highness!"

Lord Wang had a big smile on his face and spoke in a flattering tone.

Zhu Tan put down his teacup, glanced at Lord Wang's greasy face, and sneered in his heart.
Old man, do you think you can be bribed by just a cup of tea?

"Sir Wang, building the riverbank is only the first step. There is still a lot to do to control the Yellow River."

Zhu Tan spoke slowly, his tone expressing neither joy nor anger.

Lord Wang's heart trembled, and the smile on his face suddenly froze a little. He asked cautiously:

"Whatever instructions the prince has, I will follow them!"

Zhu Tan put down his teacup, stared at Lord Wang sharply, and said slowly:

"I have heard that the Yellow River floods every year. In addition to the riverbank being in disrepair, it is also related to the corruption of local officials who withheld money from river workers. Lord Wang, do you admit your guilt?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a plop, kowtowed repeatedly and begged for mercy:

"Your Majesty, please be wise! I am innocent! Since I took office, I have worked diligently and conscientiously for the people, and I have never embezzled a penny!"

"Really?"

Zhu Tan raised his lips with a cold smile, "Then I want to ask you, have you deducted the money for building the river embankment?"

Lord Wang was sweating profusely and said hesitantly:
"This...this...your humble servant...your humble servant..."

"Humph! I have already sent people to investigate you! Over the years, you have embezzled and accepted bribes, the amount is shocking! Do you really think I am a fool?"

Zhu Tan slammed the table and shouted angrily.

Lord Wang was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, trembling and unable to utter a word.

Zhu Tan looked at him coldly, his heart chilled.

These corrupt officials usually talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality, but they actually engage in theft and prostitution behind the scenes. They are truly hateful!
"My Lord, I will give you a chance to atone for your sins."

Zhu Tan's tone slowed down slightly and he spoke calmly.

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw. He quickly raised his head and asked in a trembling voice:

"Your Majesty, please speak. I will not hesitate to die!"

"I will implement new policies in Shandong, rectify the administration, develop the economy, and benefit the people. If you truly repent, you will assist me and make amends for your crimes!"

Zhu Tan said in a deep voice.

Lord Wang was stunned for a moment, and asked cautiously:
"Your Majesty, I wonder what this new policy...means?"

Zhu Tan did not answer directly, but asked back:
"Lord Wang, do you think this world belongs to the emperor alone, or to the people?"

Lord Wang was stunned. He had never thought about this question before.

From childhood to adulthood, the education he received was "the ruler is the ruler, the subject is the subject, the father is the father, the son is the son."

The emperor is the sky, and the emperor's words are the imperial edict. He has never doubted it.

"This..." Lord Wang was speechless, not knowing how to answer.

Seeing this, Zhu Tan sighed inwardly, this feudal ideology is so deeply rooted.

"I tell you, this world belongs to the people!"

Zhu Tan said seriously:
"Without the people, where would the country come from? Where would the emperor come from? When the emperor governs the country, he should seek the welfare of the people, not ride on their heads and abuse their power!"

Lord Wang was stunned.

He had never heard these words before, but he felt they were deafening and caused a huge storm in his heart.

Zhu Tan smiled slightly, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly:

"This new policy is not complicated to explain. It is divided into several items..."

He paused, and seeing that Lord Wang had pricked up his ears, he continued:

"First, we need to establish a sound water conservancy project management system. From now on, river management will no longer be a matter of a single official's words. Instead, we need to recruit talented people and set up a special agency to be responsible for the planning, construction, and maintenance of water conservancy projects."

Lord Wang was stunned. He could understand the establishment of a special institution, but what did this "recruiting talents widely" mean?
Can it be possible that ordinary people can be the officials in charge of river management?
As if he had seen through Lord Wang's doubts, Zhu Tan continued:

"The second point is to break down the prejudices of family background and select talents without any restrictions."

“Whether you are a commoner or a noble family member, as long as you have real talent and can contribute to river management, I will treat you all equally and entrust you with important tasks!”

Lord Wang was stunned. This... this was simply unheard of!
Since ancient times, becoming an official has always been about family background. When did it become the turn of common people?

Zhu Tan ignored Lord Wang's shock and continued:
“Third, we must increase investment in water conservancy projects. We can’t continue to repair them every year and see them collapse every year as we did in the past. We must be willing to spend money, use the best materials, hire the best craftsmen, and build the strongest dams!”

At this point, Zhu Tan paused, looked at Lord Wang with a sharp gaze, and said in a deep voice:

"Of course, where the money comes from is also a problem. This king has decided to implement a new tax policy in Shandong, abolishing those cumbersome and heavy taxes and only collecting necessary taxes. Moreover, these taxes will be used exclusively for river management and improving people's livelihood!"

Lord Wang broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this. Prince Lu spoke so lightly.

This tax policy is a major issue that could shake the foundation of the country. How dare he, a small prince of Shandong, make the decision on his own?
"The last point is also the most important one,"

Zhu Tan's tone became serious:

"This king wants to promote local autonomy and let the people manage their own places!"

"Home rule?"

Lord Wang was completely confused. Where did this come from?
"Yes, I intend to try out a new management model in Shandong, where the people will elect people they trust to form a local council to manage local affairs, including the construction and maintenance of water conservancy projects."

Zhu Tan explained:
"In this way, the interests of the people can be protected and the river management project can truly become a century-long project!"

Lord Wang was stunned. This... this is simply a fantasy!

If the people are allowed to govern themselves, what is the use of the court? What are the uses of officials?
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

But looking at Zhu Tan's unquestionable eyes, he couldn't say it.

Zhu Tan chuckled, took a sip of tea, and asked back:

"Sir Wang, what do you think is the meaning of the existence of this court?"

Lord Wang was stunned by the question. He thought about it carefully before answering:
"Of course, it is to govern the country, maintain order, and benefit the people..."

"If that's the case," Zhu Tan put down his teacup and looked at Lord Wang with burning eyes, "then wouldn't it be more representative of the significance of the court if the people govern themselves?"

Lord Wang opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Zhu Tan's words seemed absurd, but they also seemed to make some sense, making it difficult for him to refute them for a moment.

"Lord Wang."

Seeing that he was speechless, Zhu Tan did not force him, but patiently explained:

"This king does not want to undermine the imperial court, but to make the court's governance more efficient and closer to the needs of the people."

"To put it bluntly, this local council is a bridge between the court and the people. They understand the people's sentiments and can reflect the people's demands to the court in a timely manner; at the same time, they can also convey the court's policies to the people, eliminate misunderstandings, and avoid conflicts."

"As for the imperial court, it can focus more on formulating macro policies and maintaining national stability, rather than doing everything by itself, which would ultimately lead to loss of focus." Lord Wang frowned upon hearing this. Although he did not quite agree with Zhu Tan's idea, he had to admit that what Zhu Tan said was not without reason.

"But my lord,"

Lord Wang looked embarrassed:
"Since ancient times, the people have never fought against the officials. If you let the people manage themselves, won't this lead to chaos?"

Zhu Tan smiled slightly:
"Chaos? I don't think so. Lord Wang, do you know the story of Dayu controlling the flood?"

Although Lord Wang was puzzled, he still nodded. He had heard the story of Dayu's flood control when he was a child.

"When Dayu was controlling the flood, he passed by his home three times without entering. What did he rely on in the end? He relied on the people to dredge the river, and that’s how he succeeded!"

Zhu Tan said excitedly:
"The power of the people is infinite. As long as we give them opportunities, they can create miracles!"

"I believe that as long as we give them a chance, they will be able to manage their own place..."

Zhu Tan paused and said meaningfully:
"The members of this local council are not entirely elected by the people..."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang immediately became interested:
"Does the prince have other plans?"

Zhu Tan smiled slightly and kept it a secret:
"This is a long story. Once I have compiled the details of this new policy into a book, I will discuss it with you in detail."

Although Lord Wang was curious, he also knew that haste makes waste.

I had to suppress the doubts in my mind and continue to listen to Zhu Tan explain the other contents of the new policy.

In the following period of time, Zhu Tan explained in detail the various measures of the new policy to Lord Wang.

Including how to establish a water conservancy project management agency, how to break down class discrimination in selecting talents, how to raise funds, how to promote local autonomy, etc.

He cited a wide range of sources, from historical allusions to folk tales, from state governance strategies to people's lives, and told his story in a leisurely manner.

The originally complex and difficult to understand policies are explained in a simple and easy-to-understand way, and even make them a bit interesting.

As Lord Wang listened, he sometimes nodded, sometimes frowned, sometimes seemed to suddenly understand, and sometimes fell into deep thought.

He was originally full of doubts and resistance to Zhu Tan's new policies.

But as Zhu Tan explained, the doubts in his heart gradually dissipated.

Instead, there was an indescribable shock and admiration.

Before we knew it, the sun had set and only the flickering candlelight remained in the teahouse.

The shadows of the two people were stretched very long.

"My Lord, do you understand what I said?"

Zhu Tan put down the teacup in his hand and asked with a smile.

Lord Wang was awakened from his deep thoughts, and quickly stood up, bowed deeply to Zhu Tan, and said excitedly:

"Your Majesty is a man of great talent and vision, and he cares deeply about the people. I admire you very much!"

"Your Highness' words today have opened my eyes. It's like a revelation! I was a frog in the well before, sitting in the well and looking at the sky. I almost missed the prince's important matter!"

Seeing this, Zhu Tan quickly stood up and helped Lord Wang up, saying with a smile:

"Your Excellency Wang, you are too kind. What I said today are just some superficial ideas. Whether they can be truly implemented will require your careful consideration."

Upon hearing this, Lord Wang's expression became stern, and he said seriously:
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best to assist Your Majesty in implementing the new policies and benefit the people of Shandong!"

Zhu Tan nodded with satisfaction.

He said it a long time ago.

Corrupt officials do not necessarily deserve to be put to death.

This is just the first step. Next, he wants to make the entire Shandong Province a testing ground for his new policies!

A few days later, Zhu Tan gave the order.

Summon all Shandong officials and local gentry to Jinan Prefecture for discussions.

When the news came out, the whole Shandong was shocked.

Over the years, Shandong's officialdom has been extremely corrupt, with local gentry colluding with officials to oppress the people, and the people have long been complaining.

Now, the new Prince Lu is actually going to attack them?

For a time, all kinds of rumors spread throughout Shandong.

Some people said that His Royal Highness Prince Lu had gone insane and wanted to rebel;

Some say that His Royal Highness Prince Lu wants to turn Shandong into his own independent kingdom;
Others said that His Royal Highness the Prince of Lu wanted to emulate Emperor Taizong of Tang and create a prosperous fiefdom.

There are various speculations and opinions, and no consensus.

Jinan Prefecture, Prince Lu's Palace.

The atmosphere in the meeting hall was solemn and dignified.

Officials at all levels in Shandong and local gentry gathered together, sitting upright and not daring to breathe.

They all knew that today's meeting would determine their future fate.

Zhu Tan sat in the main seat, looking at everyone with a sneer on his lips.

These officials and gentry who usually show off their power and are arrogant.

At this moment, everyone in front of him was trembling like quails.

"Everyone, I have summoned you here today to discuss important matters."

Zhu Tan's voice was clear and loud, echoing in the lobby.

Everyone looked at each other, all bewildered.

Zhu Tan ignored everyone's reactions and continued:

"This time when I inspected the Yellow River, I found that the riverbank had been in disrepair for a long time and the people were suffering. I am deeply distressed and determined to rectify the Yellow River and benefit the people!"

When everyone heard this, they all looked enlightened.

It turned out to be about river control.

"Your Highness is kind and righteous. We admire you!"

An old man with white hair and beard stood up tremblingly and said, "It's just that the matter of river management is no small matter, and we need to think about it carefully!"

This old man is a famous scholar in Shandong, named Kong Xianglin.

They are descendants of Confucius.

He enjoys great prestige among the scholars in Shandong.

As soon as he spoke, others followed suit.

"Yes, Your Highness, river management is not something that can be done overnight. We need to plan for the long term!"

"Your Highness, this river repair requires a large amount of silver. Where can it come from?"

"Your Highness, this river management requires the conscription of civilians. If the farming season is delayed, how will the people live?" (End of this chapter)