Chapter 74 Three Questions to Hong Wu! (Please subscribe)
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Xia Zhibai bowed respectfully, then took a deep breath and slowly spoke out his thoughts.
He looked solemn, with a decisive momentum, and said solemnly: "Ask your Majesty, what kind of Ming Dynasty does your Majesty want to create."
"It is to govern the Tang and Song Dynasties, and to be far away from the Ming Dynasty. Did the Ming Dynasty in the Han Dynasty still stick to China and just want to settle down in a corner of the world? ”
Zhu Biao trembled slightly, and finally couldn't help but said: "Enough of Xia Zhibai!"
This is not a question anymore.
This is clearly forcing the father to express his position.
As the prince, he must not sit idly by and let Xia Zhibai get into trouble.
This is detrimental to the royal majesty.
Xia Zhibai solemnly said: "Returning to Your Highness is not enough, because this is related to the direction of governance in the world for a long time."
"It affects the entire world."
"If the court is not determined, With the idea of being enterprising and actively striving for progress, the world's governance situation will only become more and more like the Song Dynasty. If the Han and Tang Dynasties are targeted, the current level of the Ming Dynasty is not enough. "
Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands behind his back.
It ruled the Tang and Song Dynasties, and reached the Han and Tang Dynasties far away.
This is not the first time Xia Zhibai mentioned it.
However, he has always disagreed with this statement. What about the Han and Tang Dynasties? It has long since disappeared into the smoke of history.
They are all losers.
What he wants to create is a kingdom of thousands of years.
It is far superior to the Han and Tang Dynasties!
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "The Ming Dynasty we established is far superior to all previous dynasties."
Xia Zhibai nodded.
He continued to speak: "Second question, Your Majesty, what kind of ministers does Your Majesty want."
"Is it a minister who only wants to cater to his superiors, has no ideas of his own, and is full of power and selfishness, or is he A minister who cares about the world first and rejoices after the world's happiness, and who is dedicated to serving the public."
One word fell.
Before Zhu Yuanzhang could speak, the ministers beside him couldn't sit still.
Li Shanchang said angrily: "Presumptuous."
"My ministers of the Ming Dynasty are all loyal to Your Majesty. They have never had two hearts and are dedicated to the public interest. How can I allow you to slander me here?"
"Your Majesty, this person is trying to sow discord between the king and his ministers, with sinister intentions. I ask your majesty to punish Xia's crime of death."
"I second the proposal."
"..."
Xia Zhibai chuckled, glanced contemptuously at the excited ministers, and said seriously: "Perhaps all of you ministers are upright and loyal ministers."
" But loyalty is not enough to govern the world."
"The potatoes I gave to Your Majesty before actually have certain defects. As the number of plantings increases, the yield will continue to decrease."
" Cao Min has thought of some ways privately.”
"It's just that the effect is not good, but the grassroots people later thought of a solution, which is to believe in the wisdom and ability of the people at the bottom."
"Grain production is related to the livelihood of the people at the bottom. In this regard, the people at the bottom are far from He is more concerned and nervous than anyone else in the world. "
"So before coming to Yingtian Mansion, Cao Min gave a lot of potatoes to the people of Kaifeng Mansion and informed them of the problems. "
"I believe they will find a solution."
"This is not something that the courtiers can solve."
“During this period, floods occurred in Shouzhou and Chuzhou, killing and injuring many people. However, the root cause was actually a breach of a river embankment between the two states.”
“And this was actually an official dereliction of duty! "
Zhao Mao said coldly: "There is no human power to stop the natural disaster. I and other court officials have tried their best to rescue during this period. How can we say that we have neglected our duty? "
" Ridiculous! "< br>
Xia Zhibai nodded.
He did not deny that the court was actively providing disaster relief.
But is this what the people want?
No.
What the people want is for natural disasters to not affect normal life as much as possible, and what they want is for the court to have stronger preventive capabilities.
But Ming Dynasty didn’t do it.
Xia Zhibai said: "Since the Yuan people came to the Central Plains, disasters have occurred frequently in the world, which has a great impact on cultivated land. If we encounter continuous severe droughts or floods, based on the historical situation, it will only make the government more exhausted and the deficit of the government will be greater." More and more.”
“The old governance methods can no longer meet the needs of the world, and no matter how perfect the system is, it cannot withstand successive years of disasters.”
“It is necessary. Make changes."
"From the current rescue to treatment!"
Xia Zhibai was immediately refuted by Li Shanchang before he finished speaking.
Li Shanchang said: "That's nonsense. The Ming Dynasty destroyed the Yuan Dynasty and established it. It was an act of destiny. The national destiny is prosperous. How can it be like the Yuan Dynasty?"
"You are clearly cursing the Ming Dynasty."
< br>Xia Zhibai looked at Li Shanchang and lost his temper. He said coldly: "Do you dare to take responsibility for what you said."
"What if there are constant natural disasters in the world?"
“Do you know that your attitude will lead to the death of many people, how many people will be displaced, and how many families will be destroyed?”
Li Shanchang's face changed slightly, and he said with gloomy eyes: "Natural disasters are brought down by heaven, how can they be avoided by humans? But with the concerted efforts of my Ming Dynasty monarchs and ministers, the impact of natural disasters has been falling one after another."
"How can I allow you to be alarmist." "I don't believe that our Ming Dynasty will suffer such a disaster."
"Is this how the ministers of the Ming Dynasty treat state affairs? Open their mouths about benevolence and morality, shut up about morality, benevolence and righteousness, and then Praying to God?" Xia Zhibai said.
His eyes were like torches, staring closely at Li Shanchang, Zhao Mao and other civil servants, and said coldly: "As ministers of the Ming Dynasty, you always hold on to the idea of luck, hoping that God will not bring disaster. I will treat Daming like this.”
"But even if there is only one in 10,000 or one in 100,000 possibility, as a minister of the Ming Dynasty, you need to be vigilant."
"To avoid it."
"This That’s what you should do when you are in this position.”
“You only have luck in your heart, and you are full of truth. When you really need to practice benevolence and righteousness, you are just pretending to be benevolent and righteous.” A bunch of empty talk and no spirit of hard work. When the people were in mourning, they started to complain. It was because God was blind, or because the people were sinful and punished God. "
“Any one of you can dare to accuse.”
“I am the only one who has missed the point.”
“But you are the one with the biggest problem.”
“As the Ming Dynasty These officials have no sense of responsibility and no thoughts about the world. They only think about fighting for power and profit, only thinking about doing things perfunctorily and looking forward and backward. All the books of you sages have been read into the belly of dogs."
< br>“Being an official is not for the purpose of showing off one’s power.”
"How can such officials, without practical responsibilities and ambitions, be able to withstand the expectations of the world and the trust of the people?"
"Since the end of the Yuan Dynasty, there have been so many disasters in the world."
"The ministers have changed one after another, the system has been changed again and again, and improved again and again, but are there fewer disasters in the world? Are there fewer people dying from natural disasters?"
"No."< br>
“Because this is not just a natural disaster.”
"It's more of a man-made disaster, and it's also a result of the inaction of officials in the imperial court."
"Perhaps in your opinion, you have done everything, including disaster relief and relief for the people, and you have done everything you can. Everything that needs to be done has been done.”
“Who am I to blame you?”
“But you pat your own chest and ask yourself, do you really want to take precautions? Do you really want to take precautions in advance? Are you really trying to reduce the impact of natural disasters?”
“You are so arrogant!”
"You could have done more for the world."
"What you are doing now, apart from praying to God, is to have all kinds of luck in your heart, thinking that natural disasters are unavoidable, and you can only do your best."
“But this is not what the people expect of you.”
“What the people want is for you to make long-term plans for the world, prevent possible disasters in the world in advance, and make possible Minimize the damage caused."
"How did you do it?"
"Leave local people to fend for themselves and wait until natural disasters strike before planning to solve them. Why can't we prevent them in advance and reduce droughts and floods that may have caused hundreds of thousands of casualties to tens of thousands or even less? "
"Why can't we try to build stronger embankments and canals, and directly change the river's course, so that the local people will suffer less from natural disasters?"
"You really can't think of that?"
“No!”
“You can think of it, and you can even do it, but you don’t want to do it, because it doesn’t have much real benefit to you.”
"You say you are dedicated to serving the public good."
"But your public heart is all placed on the court, and you don't put the slightest bit on the hearts of the people, nor on the world."
< br>“As ministers, you are incompetent!”
“Although I hold different views on His Majesty’s employment of people, I have always admitted that it is indeed a world where many people from humble backgrounds can still enter the court. Hall.”
“It’s just that Yingtian Mansion is too prosperous, but it has confused the eyes and hearts of all ministers, and has made you immersed in it physically and mentally.”
"When an official does not make decisions for the people, he has no heart for the people, let alone the thoughts of the people. He always only thinks about solving problems after they arise."
"Is this really a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty?"< br>
Xia Zhibai sneered and stared at the audience coldly, showing no sign of restraint.
He continued: "Now that the Ming Dynasty's national fortunes are booming, people are agitated, and they can travel back and forth. If one day, disasters occur in the southeast, northwest, and how should the court rescue them?"
< br>"Can it be saved?"
"The books of sages teach all great principles. Why do you only use these great principles to talk about others, but not yourself?"
"Don't you think it's too hypocritical!"
“In today’s world, the more books written by sages are read, the more people feel hypocritical. The conscience and integrity of the ancients have long been lost.”
“The world has changed.”< br>
“In the past 100 years or so, scholars have become increasingly seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, and there are few benevolent people with lofty ideals who serve the public and the country wholeheartedly.”
"If we continue to use the same governance methods in the past, we will only go in the opposite direction and become increasingly ineffective. This is also what I want to know in my second question."
"What kind of ministers does the Ming Dynasty need?"
"Continue to use the current moral system of sages, or establish another system of officials based on pragmatism."
Xia Zhibai spoke his mind.
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were cloudy and uncertain. His eyes swept back and forth over Xia Zhibai, Li Shanchang and others, thinking secretly.
He didn't like either.
What he wants more is pragmatic officials based on the moral system of sages. Judging from these imperial examinations and the recommendation of court officials.
Same as Xia Zhibai said.
Embarrassment comes in handy.
Xia Zhibai’s words also made many people think deeply.
(End of this chapter)