Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the capital city welcomes the scorching sun in July.

The ancients said that there are three causes of severe hunger: water, drought, and locusts.

The earth has its ups and downs, and the rain has its partiality. Floods and droughts are disasters, but there are still many places that can be spared; but when the drought is extreme, locusts will wipe out all vegetation for thousands of miles, or all the cattle, horses and sails, and the damage will be particularly severe, even worse than floods and droughts.

According to later statistics, in the 276-year history of the Ming Dynasty, there were as many as 71 recorded locust plagues, that is, one outbreak every 3.8 years on average.

It has been four years since Hongzhi ascended the throne. Although he has always adhered to the people-oriented governing philosophy, God will never reduce natural disasters because of the emperor's noble character.

In fact, whether a feudal dynasty can effectively withstand the test of natural disasters is often related to the degree of oppression that the people can accept during this period.

In the early stage of the dynasty, the common people tend to have stronger ability to withstand pressure, so major projects can usually be completed in the early stage of the dynasty.

If in the middle and late period, like Jiajing, which likes to increase taxes through additional levies and levies, building a large square outer city becomes an extravagant hope, causing Beijing to eventually become a convex shape.

Whenever the oppression of the people reaches its maximum peak, a large-scale peasant uprising will break out, and the dynasty will not be far from destruction.

Although Chongzhen does not look like a subjugated king, the Ming Dynasty's tax increase starting from Jiajing was too serious, and in the end it was difficult to escape the fate of subjugation.

Zhu Youtang is the ninth emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Although the number seems relatively large, the lifespan of the dynasty so far is only 123 years, so it can only be regarded as the middle period of the dynasty.

Although there is still a lot of room for exploitation by the people, especially Zhu Youtang who abolished usury, a catalyst that accelerated the destruction of the dynasty, no matter how ruthless Zhu Youtang was, he would not easily reach the point of destroying the country, but dealing with this kind of natural disaster is very important for everyone. It is a huge inspection for every ruler.

Zhu Youtang made it more difficult for himself to govern. Although raising taxes could basically solve all disaster problems, he demanded that he not do so.

The curse of China's feudal dynasty not surviving for three hundred years will be broken in his hands, and he will even make Ming Dynasty a true empire on which the sun never sets.

The failure of the British was due to the huge fiscal deficit and the imposition of domestic tariffs and stamp duties. At the same time, the British also enacted the "Tea Act" to dump tea to North America, which intensified the conflict between Britain and the North American colonies.

That's why the prosperity of an empire is closely related to the degree of tax collection at that time.

The sky and the sun are blocked by flying, the windows are blocked and the doors are crowded, leaving no gaps in the room.

A locust plague has been reported in Shandong. The locusts suddenly broke out this summer, and this time they were so fierce that they wiped out all the grass, trees, cattle and horse hair.

Xiyuan, Imperial Study Room.

Four cabinet elders and eighteen important ministers from six ministries were all present. Nowadays, whenever a major event occurs in the Ming Dynasty, the highest meeting is often held here to discuss plans.

Due to the personnel turmoil in the court, several new faces appeared here.

Affected by the incident of Prince Consort Wang Zeng, Qiu Jun, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, who was close to Wang Zeng, was affected, and he took the initiative to resign and return home.

Since the position of the left minister of the Ministry of Rites was vacant, all parties secretly competed for it. In the end, Qiu Jun was replaced by Zhou Jing, the former right minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Zhou Jing was born into a family of officials. His father was Zhou Xuan, the former Shangshu of the Ministry of Punishment of Nanjing. He showed extremely high academic talent during his studies in the Imperial College and was named on the gold medal list in the fourth year of Tianshun High School at the age of twenty.

He first entered the Hanlin Academy as a Shujishi, and successfully entered the Hanlin Academy as a Hanlin reviewer. He has been working hard in the Hanlin Academy to qualify.

During this period, he, like some lucky Hanlin officials, entered the East Palace to teach, and became the prince's tutor at that time, which is now the emperor's tutor to Emperor Hongzhi.

Thanks to the successive downfalls of the previous ministers, his official career has now taken a further step and he has become the high-ranking Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites. His future is limitless.

The position vacated by Zhou Jing was supposed to be replaced by Cheng Minzheng, the minister of Taichang Temple. As a result, Cheng Minzheng was burdened by his son Cheng Si and was dismissed because he was suspected of being an accomplice of Wang Zeng.

Officials in the Ci Chen system are the cradle of the imperial prime minister, and they are also the targets that officials should not offend. They are even recognized as the leading candidates by the civil service group.

It's just that people have selfish desires after all, but the biggest beneficiaries of these dynasties that value civility over military affairs simply cannot withstand strict investigation.

Since Hongzhi ascended the throne, Cichen has become the hardest hit area for problematic officials. From Zhou Hongmo, the Minister of Rites, to the Imperial Academy to review Yang Tinghe, these people who were originally going to be included in the list of wise ministers of the Ming Dynasty left one after another.

It's just that Ci Chen is a very special system. They support each other through the teacher-student relationship, and usually have the status of emperor's teacher. Therefore, "the weeds are not burned out, but they grow again when the spring breeze blows."

Li Dongyang, who returned from observing filial piety, was also an imperial teacher. After serving as a Hanlin scholar, he now encountered a vacancy as the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, so Li Dongyang came to the position of an important minister of the Six Ministries earlier than history.

There have also been some changes in the positions of the other six ministers, and they are now participants in major decisions of the Ming Dynasty. Many people are eager to make decisions and are highly motivated to participate in decision-making.

"Judging from the disaster feedback from Shandong, this locust plague is worse than before, and the losses will be immeasurable. This time we have called you together to discuss how the court should prevent and control locusts!" Liu Ji presided over the top meeting and took the lead in making decisions for the meeting. Tuned.

Zhu Youtang was just like before. The important ministers below were discussing matters below, while he stayed in the attic drinking tea.

The current Ming Dynasty court is neither the previous model of court consultation and decision-making nor the arbitrariness of the earlier Taizu and Taizong periods, but a combination of the two models.

Zhu Youtang was not an emperor who liked to do everything himself, but chose to be a strategist. Specific affairs were usually decided by this group of important ministers.

As long as the subordinates below can come up with a reasonable solution, he usually will not interfere too much and will continue to sit firmly on the Diaoyutai.

Now facing this most common natural disaster, he also wants to use the wisdom of these ancient elites to formulate disaster strategies.

The eighteen ministers of the Six Ministries have gradually become accustomed to Zhu Youtang's governing style. Although they have not joined the cabinet, it is equivalent to joining the cabinet. Although they are not the prime minister, they are no different from the prime minister, so they are more in awe of the aloof emperor.

"The country will be defeated by immorality, and Heaven will send disasters first to warn them. Today's locust plague is God's condemnation, so preventing locusts lies in cultivating virtues, and controlling locusts requires opening warehouses to provide disaster relief. A wise king cultivates his character through fasting, and opens warehouses to relieve disasters. Provide food to help the victims, so that God can relieve the troubles caused by the locust plague!" Zhou Jing, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, like many Qingliu, advocated following the way of heaven, so he expressed his views.

In fact, the locust plague is not a serious problem, but it does not matter how serious it is.

Originally, the family fortune left by the Chenghua Dynasty was not small. Although the Hongzhi Dynasty spent a lot of money everywhere, the clearing of land made the country's granary more abundant than ever before.

As long as the Ming court is willing to open warehouses to release grain, then all problems will no longer be a problem. This is actually a common method used by many dynasties.

As for advising the emperor to cultivate virtue, this is actually the same as a solar eclipse, as long as the emperor just shows off. Not only will there be less trouble, but you can also explain it to all the people in the world.

Liu Xuan, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, his face was as dark as water, and he immediately scolded: "Mediocre scholars are obsessed with writing and do not know how to adapt! The locust plague is a natural disaster. It has appeared after a few years. It is not surprising. Is it related to the emperor's virtue?"

"Liu Shangshu, you are wrong. The locust plague was not heard of by Yao and Shun, and the Zhou Dynasty was not prosperous. Since the emperors of the Tang and Song Dynasties lost their virtue, locusts have been seen eating people. Today's emperor is indeed a sage, but who is not a sage and can have no fault? If I follow my The law can be used to respond to God, and the disaster of locusts can be quelled!" Zhou Jing knew that Liu Xuan was defending the emperor, but he was also expressing his orthodox views.

It's not that he wants to accuse his students of being bad, but people are not perfect. The most obvious shortcoming of his students is that they kill too much. Since Zhu Youtang ascended the throne, the number of dignitaries killed has been far greater than that of Chenghua Dynasty.

In the killing in March this year alone, and in several cases combined, the number of people who were dragged to the West Market and beheaded has exceeded a thousand, and Hongzhi has become a true tyrant.

Although the locust plague is coming quickly and violently, it is actually reasonable, so we encourage our students to cultivate virtue. It can not only make your students put down their hostility towards the powerful class, but also solve the root cause of this locust plague.

The fragrance of tea lingered, and Han Youying's delicate hand gently brought the tea cup to Zhu Youtang. When observing Zhu Youtang's reaction, she found that the man in front of her was becoming more and more calm.

Zhu Youtang silently picked up the teacup and tasted it. Although Zhou Jing's words did not please him, he more or less believed in this metaphysics since he met Dongfang Tao.

Although he didn't agree with Zhou Jing's negative approach in his heart, he didn't have too much resentment. Having opinions was better than those silent gourds.

Yin Zhi has learned a lot in his hometown in Jiangxi over the years, and he also stood up and expressed his position: "Shilang Zhou, when agriculture flourishes, pests will breed. This is the cause of the locust plague. There is no record of the locust plague in ancient books. One reason is that agriculture is not prosperous, and the other is that If the records are incomplete, what does it have to do with the emperor?"

Since returning to the court, I have especially seen the suffering of the people in Jiangxi, and I have a deeper understanding of the meaning of "empty talk harms the country, but hard work rejuvenates the country".

Now facing this locust plague, he could understand the emperor's thoughts.

Don't always wait until people are dying before going to rescue them. Instead, you should find ways to solve the problem from the root to prevent people from falling into the water and dying.

This locust plague is affecting Shandong, but there is no disaster yet in Beizhili, so the top priority is actually how to prevent locusts.

Li Si, the Minister of Household Affairs, knew that this issue needed attention, and expressed his own opinion: "According to historical data, locust plagues usually last for two or three consecutive years. Today is not only to control the current locust plague, but also to prevent next year's disaster, so we are planning to do so." In the long run, we should start with locust prevention and control!”

"Two gentlemen, we have been discussing locust prevention and control throughout the ages, but how effective has it been? Although the insects are dead, hundreds of insects are coming, how can we use human power to fight against natural disasters? Today, if you cultivate virtue and obey the way of heaven, you can solve the problem of locust plague. This is the ancestor's wish Law!" Zhou Jing responded calmly to the pressure from the two important ministers.

"It is nonsense that the emperor has lost his virtue. To control locusts, you only need to eliminate the word! Controlling locusts is like facing the captives in the past. So what if hundreds of insects come flying in? As long as we work together to kill them and save the people from fire and water, thousands of insects can be eradicated. Yes!" Liu Xuan, Minister of the Ministry of War, no longer believed in the way of heaven after going through the battlefield, and he made his claim with high morale.

Jia Jun, Minister of Industry, and other officials nodded silently, no longer superstitious about the so-called emperor's immorality.

Today, Zixiong's talents and strategies have made the Ming Empire prosperous. If there is a problem today, it is the biggest problem in the world, not to mention that following the way of heaven is actually neglecting government.

Zhou Jing, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, knew that it would be easier for him to gain His Majesty's attention by supporting Qingliu's facade, so he continued to argue: "If the locusts can be eliminated, why has the locust plague persisted throughout the ages? The Song Dynasty used gold and silk to lure the people to kill them, but the results were mediocre. The law only increases the court’s expenses!”

In dealing with the disaster of locust plague, although our ancestors were superstitious about the induction of heaven and man in the early days, they still made efforts in the later period. For example, the Song Dynasty stipulated that anyone who caught a fight of locusts would be given 100 Wen.

It’s just that history has already proven that even if some people can succeed in the same thing, some people are doomed to fail.

The method of the Song Dynasty was actually correct, but the money given was too little, and the court's credibility was too low, so it was not possible to change the amount of locust extermination from a quantitative to a qualitative change.

Now Zhou Jing advocates the induction of heaven and man, which is actually the easiest way to solve this locust plague.

Zhu Youtang had been listening in the attic. Up to this moment, he still did not intend to stand up and express his opinion. He silently took the tea from Han Youying and continued to taste it.

Although he, as a future generation, can see the solution to the locust plague, he hopes that the elites of this era will break this ideological shackles and take a crucial step towards locust control and locust prevention.

"Empty talk will harm the country, but hard work will make it prosperous! If you don't try this yourself, how can you know that locusts can't be controlled and prevented?" Liu Xuan, the Minister of War, has a firm will and has no intention of giving in.

"Song law has been around for a long time, but the locusts will always be there! Rewarding the people with gold and silk is a big expense, but it is really worth trying!" Li Si, the Minister of Household Affairs, knew which one was greater, the losses caused by the locust plague or the reward expenses. It is also an expression of support for Authenticity.

"I also agree to carry out a nationwide hunt. How can there be no reason for the locusts to be killed!" Li Yu, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, thought for a moment and expressed his stance authentically.

Liu Ji coughed lightly when he saw two completely different views.

The officials present noticed that it was not the man in the attic, but Liu Ji, the chief assistant at the front, and they all turned their attention to him.

Liu Ji met everyone's gaze and smiled slightly: "Since everyone's opinions agree, let's vote! Should we continue to use the old method, or should we support Liu Shangshu and Li Shangshu's method of mass killing? Let's vote here first. !”

Jia Jun, the minister of industry, and others were already accustomed to this kind of handling, and they voted one after another. However, people did not expect that Liu Ji would be the first to raise his hand to support Zhou Li. (End of chapter)