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

Since ancient times, officials and gentry have been two different classes.

Officials are the rulers and gentry are the local tyrants. The two are interdependent and check and balance each other.

Zhu Tan's idea is tantamount to challenging the traditions and order of thousands of years.

"You are quite courageous, boy!"

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes, and no emotion could be heard in his tone.

"Father," Zhu Tan said calmly:
"Think about it. Those officials and gentry, relying on their power and influence, oppress the people, bully the people, and do all kinds of evil. They are like a cancer on the body of the Ming Dynasty. If they are not removed, they will destroy the Ming Dynasty sooner or later!"

"I know what you said, don't I?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed. He also wanted to get rid of these cancers, but how easy was it?

These officials and gentry have complex connections and huge power. If they are not careful, they will cause turmoil in the court and the country, and even shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty.

"Father, do you still remember what you said back then?"

Zhu Tan looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a sharp gaze, "You said that you want to make sure that all the people in this world can have enough food and clothing, and can live a good life!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was shocked. When he was a cowherd, he had vowed to overthrow the tyranny of the Yuan Dynasty and establish a country where the people could live and work in peace and contentment.

Now, he has done it, but has he really made all the people live a good life?
"Father,"

Zhu Tan's voice sounded again:
"Officials and gentry must be united! Only in this way can we completely eradicate these cancers, truly ensure that the Ming Dynasty will be forever stable, and truly allow the people of the world to live and work in peace and contentment!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent. He looked at his high-spirited son in front of him with mixed feelings.

He didn't know whether Zhu Tan's idea was right or wrong, and he didn't know whether he should support him.

"Father," Zhu Tan saw that Zhu Yuanzhang was silent and thought he was hesitating, so he continued, "I know this is difficult, but I believe that as long as father and son work together, we will succeed!"

"You kid," Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Tan, a complicated look flashing in his eyes, "you always give me problems..."

He walked slowly along the ridge of the field with his hands behind his back. The golden sunlight shone on his body, giving him a golden edge.

"I need to think about this matter carefully..."

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say anything, but just walked onto the ridge of the field.

The guards behind him wanted to follow, but were stopped by Zhu Yuanzhang with a look.

Seeing this, Zhu Tan hurriedly followed, and the father and son walked one in front and one behind on the path in the field.

The early autumn wind blows through the golden rice fields, raising waves of wheat.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, and the breath of this land made him feel at ease.

"Tell me, what are you up to?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance.

"Hey, Father, don't be anxious." Zhu Tan smiled and walked quickly to Zhu Yuanzhang's side. "Look at this field, how fertile it is! But the people who farm the field have to pay heavy taxes every year. Why is that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him and said, "Don't play dumb with me, you kid. I'm asking about the officials and gentry. Why are you talking about these nonsense?"

"Father, don't worry, this is all connected!" Zhu Tan pointed to the luxurious manor on the other side of the field, "Look, what is that place?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked in the direction of Zhu Tan's finger, his face suddenly darkened, "That's Mr. Zhang's farm. What, you want to fight the local tyrants and divide the land?"

"Father, you misunderstood. That's not what I meant."

Zhu Tan waved his hands quickly, "I just want to say that the land is dead, but people are alive. We have to think of a way to make the most of the land so that the people can live a good life. Don't you agree?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say anything, just listened quietly.

Zhu Tan continued:

"Father, think about it. Those officials and gentry occupy the best land, but instead of cultivating it properly, they rent it out to the people and charge high rents. Is this reasonable?"

"This……"

Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated for a moment. He knew that what Zhu Tan said made sense, but things had been like this for thousands of years and it was not easy to change them.

"Father, I know what you are worried about." Zhu Tan saw Zhu Yuanzhang's concerns, "You are worried that if the interests of officials and gentry are affected, they will rebound and even shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. This was what he was most worried about.

"Father, have you ever thought about this: if we don't do anything about them and let them go on like this, will the foundation of the Ming Dynasty be stable?"

Zhu Tan asked back.

"What do you mean?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

"Father, think about it. Those officials and gentry, relying on their power and influence, oppress the people and bully the villagers. The people dare not speak out. If this continues, the people will be filled with resentment. By then, the Ming Dynasty will collapse without anyone else trying to shake it!"

Zhu Tan said in a heavy tone.

Zhu Yuanzhang was shocked. How could he not understand this truth?

Wasn’t it because of the corruption and tyranny of the Yuan Dynasty that he started his rebellion?
"Then, what do you want to do?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked, with less questioning and more inquiry in his tone.

"Officials and gentry must be united as one, this is imperative!"

Zhu Tan said in a firm tone, "We must make those officials and gentry also fulfill their due obligations and let them also contribute to the country and society of the Ming Dynasty!"

"What is the oneness method?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"It's very simple!" Zhu Tan's eyes sparkled with wisdom. "Let them pay taxes! Let them serve in the military! Let them participate in the construction of the country!"

"Father, the people are the foundation of the country. Only when the people live and work in peace and contentment can the country be stable and peaceful for a long time!"

Zhu Tan continued, "Officials and gentry are one, not only to limit their power, but also to awaken their sense of responsibility, to let them understand that they are also part of the Ming Dynasty, and they must contribute their own strength to the future of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent. He put his hands behind his back and walked slowly along the ridge of the field.

After a long while, he stopped and looked into the distance, as if he wanted to see through the layers of fog. "What do you plan to do about the unity of officials and gentry?"

Zhu Tan was delighted, he knew that his father agreed!
He quickly laid out his prepared plan:

"Father, I think that the integration of officials and gentry should start with taxes, corvée labor, and merchants..."

As the sun set, the father and son talked for a long time at the edge of the field until the last ray of light in the sky disappeared.

Zhu Yuanzhang finally nodded in agreement to Zhu Tan’s new policy plan and promised to personally deal with the opposition voices in the court.

"Just go ahead and handle the Shandong matter. If those old stubborn people dare to talk too much, I will deal with them for you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Tan on the shoulder, his tone full of trust and support for his son. "Thank you, father!"

"Well, it's getting late, let's go back home."

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he took the lead and walked down the ridge of the field.

Zhu Tan hurriedly followed, and the two of them, one in front and one behind, disappeared into the twilight.

……

After returning to the Prince Lu's Mansion in Jinan, Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned when he saw the peculiar-style building in front of him.

The towering spires, gorgeous carvings, and colorful glass windows all exude an exotic style and are completely different from any palace he has ever seen.

"Old Ten, your mansion... is quite unique."

Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated for a moment before speaking, with a barely perceptible hint of doubt in his tone.

"Hey, Father, this is a design I made in a Western style. How is it? Not bad, right?"

Zhu Tan smiled and said that he specially had someone transform the Prince Lu's Mansion into a European style according to his memories of his previous life.

Since you have become a prince and come to your fiefdom.

Of course you have to enjoy it.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not speak, but walked into the palace. The spacious and bright hall, the soft carpeted floor, and the strangely shaped but extremely comfortable furniture all made him feel very novel.

"Father, please take a seat."

Zhu Tan led Zhu Yuanzhang to a soft sofa, which he had specially had imitated.

The interior is filled with the finest goose feathers, making it extremely soft to sit on, and is as soft as the dragon throne in the imperial palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat down carefully and immediately felt as if his body had sunk into the clouds, feeling indescribably comfortable.

He couldn't help but press the armrest of the sofa with his hand, with a surprised expression on his face, "What...what is this? It's so soft and comfortable?"

"Hey, this is called a sofa. It's something Westerners use to rest. Just make sure you feel comfortable, Father."

Zhu Tan explained with a smile.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the sofa for a while before he stood up and said:

"Old Ten, your mansion is full of new things. Tell me, what new things do you have? Show them to me."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Tan was secretly delighted.

I didn’t expect that although Lao Zhu appears to be serious and majestic on the surface, he is actually a person who likes new things in his heart.

So he took Zhu Yuanzhang on a tour around the palace and explained to him the uses and origins of various Western gadgets.

From the self-ringing clock to the telescope, from the phonograph to the bicycle, every item opened Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes and made him marvel.

He was like a curious child, constantly asking various questions, with an increasingly wide smile on his face.

However, when Zhu Tan brought Zhu Yuanzhang to an elegantly decorated study, the smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face gradually disappeared.

Because he saw that on the bookshelf in the study, in addition to the Four Books and Five Classics and historical books, there were many books he had never seen before.

Most of the covers of these books were in Western languages, with only a few written in Chinese characters, but the contents made him feel very unfamiliar and even a little uneasy.

"Old Ten, what are these books?"

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at the bookshelf and asked in a serious tone, with a hint of vigilance and suspicion in his eyes.

"Father, these are the books I collected from Western merchants. They cover a wide range of subjects, including astronomy and geography, mathematics and physics, and medicine and mechanics..."

Zhu Tan explained, but he noticed that his father's expression was not right, so he didn't continue.

"Do you admire Western things so much?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's tone darkened. He picked up a book with a human skeleton diagram printed on the cover, flipped it open, and frowned even more tightly:
"What use are these things to in governing a country?"

Zhu Tan looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's gloomy face and knew that a storm was coming.

But he felt no fear in his heart, instead he felt an inexplicable excitement.

His father, the Emperor, has always been known for his great talent and strategy, but he is also pedantic in nature.

He wanted to see whether this knowledge from the future could create different sparks.

"Father, what do you think of these Western things compared to the things of our Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Tan did not directly answer Zhu Yuanzhang's question, but instead led the topic in another direction.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, obviously quite dissatisfied with Zhu Tan's evasion, but he still followed his words and said:
"Though Western products are exquisite, they are nothing more than gimmicks and tricks. How can they be compared with the products of our Ming Dynasty?"

"Your Majesty is right, but these Western things also contain a lot of things that are worth learning from for our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Tan said, picking up a book with a human skeleton diagram printed on the cover, "For example, this book 'Human Anatomy Atlas' records the structure of the human body in detail, which is very helpful for treating diseases and improving medical skills!"

"Ridiculous!" Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table and said angrily, "How can a mortal be allowed to peek into the anatomy of the human body? How dare you collect such an immoral book?"

Zhu Tan had expected Zhu Yuanzhang to have such a reaction, so he was not angry, but just said calmly:
"Father, I know you are worried that this is against the will of heaven, but doctors are like parents. If I can learn this knowledge and save more people, wouldn't it be a great deed?"

"Humph, you are just trying to flatter me!" Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, apparently unmoved. "I think you are just avoiding the topic!"

Zhu Tan smiled secretly in his heart, finally he hit the point.

He picked up a book written in Chinese characters and handed it to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Father, please take a look at this book, The Monarch."

Zhu Yuanzhang took the book suspiciously, opened it and saw the following words:

"The monarch should not take benevolence, justice and morality as the criteria, but should take maintaining his own rule as the highest goal, and he can do whatever it takes if necessary..."

"How dare you!" Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and threw the book to the ground. "What nonsense! A ruler should rule the world with benevolence and justice. How can you do such a despicable thing?"

"Father, please calm down. I do not advocate all the views in this book, but I think some of the principles are worth learning from."

Zhu Tan explained calmly:

"For example, the book mentions that a monarch should be good at using various means, including deception and violence, to achieve his goals."

"Although this may sound a bit cruel, it is undeniable that it is indeed an effective means in real political struggles."

"You..." Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Zhu Tan, shaking with anger, "How dare you say such treasonous words in front of me!"

Zhu Tan was not afraid at all and continued:
"Father, I am only telling you the truth. Think about it, didn't you use every possible means to fight against the Yuan Dynasty? If you hadn't been so decisive and ruthless, how could the Ming Dynasty be as stable as it is today?" (End of this chapter)