Chapter 554: The Mouse Tying the Bell to the Cat

"The formulation of decrees has nothing to do with this collective. Then, from what standpoint does the imperial court tax them? This is true freedom." Li Zhi fully expressed his point of view, his understanding of freedom.

The independence struggle in the Netherlands was "no representation, no taxation"—that is, there was no representative for their interests, they did not participate in the formulation of decrees, so why should the Netherlands pay taxes to Spain? The heavy taxes made it hard to breathe. From nobles to slaves, the Dutch could only go to sea to become pirates for a living, and oppression led to ubiquitous resistance.

Ultimately, the independence of the Netherlands was formed, with the Northern Alliance and the Southern League jointly establishing a parliament to discuss state affairs together.

Zhu Zhu Yijun was curious if Li Zhi had drawn experience from the struggle of the Dutch in the West, but thinking about it carefully, it was probably not the case, because in this regard, the experience of rebellion in the Central Plains was also extremely rich.

Li Zhi's point of view, actually going a step further, was: power only answers to the source of power. For example, the system of Great Ming officials being completely responsible to those above, such as the appointment of Great Ming officials entirely by the Emperor—Li Kaifang's younger brother, Li Kaizao, had his name crossed out from the list of successful candidates because he was clamoring for fame.

The famous Confucian scholars and Confucian scholars who came to watch the fun under the stage were already a bit numb. They shouldn't have come back just now; they should have left directly!

Look at the words Li Zhi said! It was too rebellious!

"Even those Confucian scholars who shout 'the people are the foundation of the state, and if the foundation is solid, the state is peaceful'—the 'people' in their mouths, their definition of the people, is not the poor and suffering laborers who work like cattle and horses, but the local gentry and above, even though the poor and suffering laborers are the majority."

This was all building up momentum.

All the court officials in the world offending Wang Wang Chonggu would likely end up in *Famous Confucian Scholars' Romantic Affairs in the Capital*, but only Wang Wang Chonggu being bullied by Zhang Zhang Juzheng could only result in a stiff-lipped sentence: "I won't bother with you."

Retracting an imperial order is harder for an emperor than killing him.

"You can't talk nonsense!" Li Zhi became anxious directly. He immediately said, "I don't have the idea of pointing fingers at the imperial carriage! If you want to die, don't drag everyone with you!"

Zhu Zhu Yijun immediately opened his mouth and said, "Then what are the standards for popular election?"

Li Zhi fell silent. He couldn't argue, he really couldn't argue.

Zhu Zhu Yijun sometimes also knew that some of his decrees were not quite appropriate, and he would rather let them become "dormant clauses" than retract the imperial order. For example, he once issued an edict that abandoned land would be included in the evaluation. Once one-quarter was abandoned, it would be a "lowest-lowest" rating. But the ultimate result of the implementation was that it was inappropriate, or the timing was wrong, and this clause fell into dormancy and was not within the scope of the evaluation.

"Alright, let's talk until here today. I'll go back first, you all continue."

Zhu Zhu Yijun had rich experience in dealing with madmen. It was enough to be better than them. Of course, now that Zhu Zhu Zaiyu was riding alone in the study of things, Zhu Zhu Yijun could only look up to that high mountain.

"I don't know." Li Zhi also answered honestly. He didn't even know that this had happened, let alone the reason.

One doesn't need to build up momentum to be an emperor. For example, the Emperor Longqing Emperor simply hid himself, hiding in the palace to be happy and carefree. But the Emperor Longqing Emperor could be happy and carefree because Gao Gong, Zhang Zhang Juzheng, and others were all people from the Prince Yu mansion back then.

For more than ten years, Zhu Zhu Yijun had been debating so many problems with court officials. His ability to reflect was such that even Zhang Zhang Juzheng had to say: "Your Majesty, look at the *Illustrated Mirror of Emperors*." It was just changing the subject.

Why didn't you see you were afraid when you were making up riddles about the Emperor just now?!

Where was that unruly look just now?! Recover it!

Wang Qian was about to die of laughter. He knew His Majesty too well. His Majesty was best at this trick: using your own words to pay you back, letting you see what a boomerang is.

You, Li Zhi, also know how to be afraid!

Li Zhi proposed an ideal country under absolute freedom, but the foundation of this ideal country's point of view had just been refuted by the point of view of Lin Lin Fucheng, who was also a member of the freedom faction.

Li Kaifang hesitated for a long, long time, and finally, at dusk, resolutely took that step. The entire palace was filled with the sound of drums. For so many years, the Embroidered Uniform Guards' skills in using the heavy stick had become rusty!

"Alright, let's put this problem aside." Zhu Zhu Yijun took another step back and did not continue to discuss this problem. He chose to let Li Zhi go. Li Zhi had already admitted defeat; there was really no need.

"Then in the imperial court, which collectives have no representatives? Duke Jiangling's class theory divided people into poor laborers, local gentry, powerful clans, official-selected officials, hereditary officials, and other classes. Then which class collective has lost its voice, is unable to express its demands, and is unable to influence the imperial court's decisions?" Zhu Zhu Yijun walked out of the private room, stood at the railing, and asked loudly.

Zhu Zhu Yijun continued, "Why do you say Li Kaifang is a fool? It's just that the Emperor cherishes talent and is too lazy to argue with him. He started the head of 'prostrating at the palace gate.' It's been so long, and not a single court official dares to prostrate at the palace gate, because they know the Emperor will kill people. Whoever goes will die."

From the tenth year of Emperor Hongwu, Crown Prince Zhu Biao began to handle affairs—that is, he could express opinions on all matters. But throughout the Emperor Hongwu reign, Zhu Biao did not issue a single Crown Prince order. From the fifteenth year of Emperor Hongwu to the thirtieth year of Emperor Hongwu, all matters, big and small, in the court were managed by Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang alone, until he passed away.

Therefore, Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang retracting the imperial order was because he truly felt that doing so would not work.

Zhu Zhu Yijun asked the third question: how to select auxiliary officials?

"Popular election!" Li Zhi said loudly. He had really thought about this problem. What does official-selected officials correspond to? It's popular election of officials!

Li Zhi felt that he was crazy enough. He felt that by proposing this point of view, he would definitely be able to scare the base-born Confucian scholars in the capital into silence. In fact, it was indeed the case. Those base-born Confucian scholars were already sweating profusely in their seats, unable to say a word. He was already bold enough, but it turned out someone was even bolder than him!

Li Zhi thought his opponent was Wang Qian and was full of confidence when he went on stage, but he was suppressed by Young Master Huang everywhere.

Zhu Zhu Yijun did not continue to make things difficult. He saw Li Zhi's face was red and he was sweating profusely, and he knew that Li Zhi really hadn't thought about these specific problems, which was why he was so at a loss.

"Are you trying to say the four auxiliary officials of spring, summer, autumn, and winter?" Zhu Zhu Yijun thought for a while and asked about Li Zhi's specific meaning.

Li Zhi was sweating profusely. He was just here to gather and talk, to make a name for himself, but it turned out that this was really kicking an iron plate. He felt that he should return to Quanzhou instead of entering the capital.

Li Zhi was completely hitting the muzzle of a gun. His original intention was to use the gathering at the Taibai Tower to build a relationship with the two young masters of the capital and to throw out his frightening point of view to become famous in one fell swoop, and then slowly perfect his theory. But as soon as he came out of the mountains, he met a master among masters.

Wang Wang Chonggu is like a mouse seeing a cat when facing Zhang Zhang Juzheng, hiding if he can, because the Emperor doesn't take sides, and Wang Wang Chonggu can't fight him either.

The abridged version of the *Yongle Encyclopedia* was sent from the capital to Nagasaki. Xu Wei, the Governor of Nagasaki, loved this volume of books, but Xu Wei also wrote a memorial, asking the Emperor to postpone sending the original copy of the *Yongle Encyclopedia* to the Nagasaki Governor's Office. It was not safe enough here, and it would be easy to fall into the hands of thieves.

Not retracting the imperial order is a kind of "I was wrong, but I am the Emperor, so I am not wrong; it's all because the ministers are not loyal enough to the monarch and the country." Not retracting the imperial order is a kind of "I can't do it now, but when I can do it in the future, I will definitely do it." It's all recorded in the little notebook.

Zhu Zhu Yijun summarized, "Now the court is divided into two factions: one advocates more currency, the other advocates more goods. The propositions of these two factions are not clearly defined; there is 'you in me, and me in you.' It is more of a tendency, but the goal of these two factions is consistent, which is universal benefit."

Because the foundation cannot stand.

This is a problem worth exploring.

"So, poor laborers should not pay taxes," Zhu Zhu Yijun said very confidently. "Li Zhi, have you thought about it? If poor laborers shouldn't pay taxes, will everyone in our Great Ming become a poor laborer? I remember when Master Lin discussed this problem, he said it was 'putting the wrong hat on the wrong head,' and he disagreed with enrolling successful candidates based on their background in the special examination."

The four auxiliary officials who rose from the common people were Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's attempt after the abolition of the Secretariat. These auxiliary officials from commoner backgrounds did not meet Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang's expectations at all. One year and ten months after their establishment, Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang could only eat his own words and abolish the four auxiliary officials.

"This is also a problem that the Great Ancestor Emperor could not solve back then. Originally, the Great Ancestor Emperor hoped that they could speak a few words for the common people, but he found that they slowly became like the scholar-officials, speaking exactly the same as those scholar-officials," Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhi and said helplessly.

This is a very realistic problem. Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang was a person who would not easily bow his head, but in the end, he still canceled the four auxiliary officials and chose to shoulder it alone.

If you haven't thought about it, you haven't thought about it. If you are refuted and questioned, thinking and perfecting it is the way to go.

"Can a mouse tie a bell to a cat?"

"Can't fight him? Even with the Emperor's support?" Li Zhi frowned. He originally advocated absolute freedom, but now he actually had to seek help from the head of authoritarianism—the Emperor—to exercise imperial power and uphold justice.

"There's such a thing?!" Li Zhi was very surprised. He didn't even know that this had happened in the early years of the Great Ming Dynasty, during the Emperor Hongwu reign, and it had failed.

Li Zhi was silent for a long time before saying, "Since the auxiliary officials come from the common people, they should naturally accept the supervision and dismissal of the common people. In this way, in this way, people are born free and not in chains!"

And Li Zhi used more specific things to express it. Everyone's path was consistent.

He fell into the same predicament as the Confucian scholars before—he didn't understand, so he couldn't gather and talk.

"Who let these demon kings out? The imperial court."

The truth becomes clearer the more it is debated.

That diligent monarch praised by the donkey in the mill, when facing Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang, also paled in comparison.

Li Zhi and Geng Geng Dingli, the younger brother of Geng Prince Dingxiang, were good friends. Geng Prince Dingxiang did not like Li Zhi's arrogance and his propositions, while Geng Geng Dingli insisted on keeping Li Zhi in his mansion for a long stay. After Geng Geng Dingli passed away from illness, Li Zhi settled in Macheng, and later heard about the gathering and talking style in the capital, so he traveled thousands of miles to the capital. It turned out it would have been better not to come, as he was interrogated to this point by a young man.

Li Zhi clearly realized that he had met an opponent. This Young Master Huang was absolutely not as much of a "wine bag and rice sack" as rumored. A wine bag and rice sack wouldn't look at problems so incisively and directly grab the core and essence of the problem.

Zhu Zhu Yijun asked about this popular election under absolute freedom. What is the difference between the people he elects and the court officials selected through the imperial examination? Aren't they still the meat-eaters themselves or their lackeys?

"Li Zhi, let me tell you the story of Li Kaizao and Li Kaifang. Because the Li family clan had a favor to Li Kaifang, all of Li Kaifang's achievements from childhood to adulthood were usurped by Li Kaizao. Li Kaifang was like a fool, running to the Meridian Gate to prostrate, to challenge the supreme imperial power, to provoke that violent and bloody Emperor!"

Did Zhang Zhang Juzheng win the fight against Gao Gong, Yang Bo, Wang Wang Chonggu, Ge Ge Shouli, and Zhang Zhang Siwei with the Emperor's support? Zhang Zhang Juzheng won a decisive victory before he obtained the Emperor's full support.

Zhu Zhu Yijun looked at Li Zhi and asked, "Do you know why it was abolished?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun was speaking from experience. Back then, he hid under the iron triangle of Empress Dowager Li, Feng Bao, and Zhang Zhang Juzheng, cautiously probing and fighting bit by bit. His power stabilized bit by bit, all of which was bloody. Which of the four major cases was not a bloody storm? Zhu Zhu Yijun even had to go to watch the execution on the day before his wedding.

"The civil officials who came from the imperial examination were selected through the imperial examination. They passed the county examination to become a scholar, passed the provincial examination to become a *juren*, traveled long distances to enter the capital, and passed the palace examination to become a *Ming Jinshi*. They climbed to high positions in the officialdom. This is the current official-selection system. How should the auxiliary officials you mentioned be selected?"

He was still thinking about discussing feasibility, while this Young Master Huang had already gone to think about practice!

Obviously, Li Zhi could only bite the bullet and eat this boomerang.

"Identity, well, can be changed."

"Uh..." Li Zhi was stunned and said, "Young Master Huang, may I ask, what are these four auxiliary officials of spring, summer, autumn, and winter?"

"The officialdom is the biggest vanity fair. Every bit of power here is fought for with blood."

"Universal benefit is of course good! His Majesty is wise, which is why the court is so clear!" Li Zhi chose to sing praises. His proposition was still a tender seedling, and at this time, it could not be compared with the imperial examination official-selection system that had already grown into a towering tree.

Playing identity politics, instead of dividing by means of production, would lead to this problem. You say you are a television, and I am an armed helicopter.

"It's okay, it wasn't said in front of the Emperor. The Emperor is busy with ten thousand things, how would he have time to care about our idle chatter?" Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile.

"To tell the truth, my idea is still stuck in a... a hypothetical category, and I haven't thought about the problem of practice." Li Zhi finally admitted it, admitting that he had thought too little. The matter of Li Kaifang prostrating at the palace gate was known to everyone in the world, and the stories within it were widely circulated.

"To be honest, my thoughts are still stuck in a... a hypothetical realm; I haven't even considered the issue of putting them into practice." Li Zhi finally admitted it—admitted that he hadn't thought things through enough. The incident of Li Kaifang kneeling at the palace gate had caused such a massive uproar that everyone in the world knew of it, and the stories behind it were even more widely circulated.

"I... Young Master Huang is right." Li Zhi had a huge headache. This Young Master Huang was a bit too difficult to deal with. None of the problems mentioned by Young Master Huang could be answered by Li Zhi, because Li Zhi hadn't thought about practice yet. He just proposed such a proposition.

Many people said that compared to Li Kaizao's unbenevolence, unrighteousness, unfilial piety, and untrustworthiness, Li Kaifang's benevolence, righteousness, filial piety, and trustworthiness were even more commendable. But Young Master Huang said he was a fool.

When Zhu Zhu Yijun really couldn't find a suitable adjective, he would use "scholar" to describe it. For example, the three mountains that Lin Lin Fucheng made—Great Ming was not suitable, but Lin Lin Fucheng made them to sell to the West... I really don't know how to scold him properly, so I just said the other party was a scholar.

"The Li family clan really had a favor to Li Kaifang, but the favor wasn't big enough for Li Kaifang to pay with his life. Li Kaizao's achievements were all from Li Kaifang, but the one with the reputation was Li Kaizao. So, is Li Kaizao really him, or is it Li Kaifang?"

"In July of the fifteenth year of Emperor Hongwu, the Secretariat was abolished. Since then, the four auxiliary officials were established. These four auxiliary officials were all Confucian scholars who rose from the common people. The *Imperial Ming Ancestral Instructions* says: 'Moreover, you were commoners yesterday, and today you assist me in managing the lives of the people, standing out from the crowd, bringing glory to your ancestors, heaven and man celebrate together, what a grand occasion! You should assist in governance and transform the world, to bring peace to the people and achieve supreme governance.'"

The reason was also very simple: these auxiliary officials from commoner backgrounds were not the opponents of the scholar-officials in the court at all.

"What do you think?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked, seeing Li Zhi refused to answer.

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Li Zhi, don't you think your expression is too empty and not specific enough? Who supervises? How to supervise? Who dismisses? How to dismiss? According to the absolute suppression from top to bottom based on class theory, how can the poor laborers supervise and dismiss those who hold power?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a complex face, "Because they can't fight them. These scholars' hearts are too vicious."

"Ah, this..." Li Zhi was silent. This first shot of his in the capital seemed to have misfired. Before it was even fired, he was left speechless by a Young Master Huang. So many of his theories hadn't even begun to be described, and it was already over...

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with great emotion, "This is like a step, needing to be walked up step by step. Duke Jiangling was also from a poor family—the Jiangling family only had a door—but he walked step by step to the Zhao Wenhua Hall. Every step he walked was building up momentum. The people behind him became more and more numerous, and finally, Duke Jiangling could decide the fate of Great Ming."

Packaging, "putting the wrong hat on the wrong head."

"Actually, your proposition has the biggest difficulty in convincing the Emperor. Think about it, that is the Emperor! These officials selected through the imperial examination are all students of the Son of Heaven. The monarch and teacher are one, the monarch and state are one, the monarch and father are one. You want the Emperor to give up power and give the bell to the biggest cat—the Emperor. How do you convince the Emperor?" Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "You have to think about this problem well."

Lin Lin Fucheng was also sitting under the stage, watching Li Zhi's joke. As soon as Li Zhi entered the capital, he had put Lin Lin Fucheng on the pillar of shame as a "traitor of the freedom faction." Now it was Li Zhi's turn to suffer.

The "three mountains" that Lin Lin Fucheng made—Great Ming was not suitable, but Lin Lin Fucheng made them to sell to the West... I really don't know how to scold him properly, so I just said the other party was a scholar.

This was very contradictory, but it was already the best solution Li Zhi could think of in this era, seeking the Emperor's full support to realize his political proposition. A freedom faction advocating for the Emperor to complete the freedom decree was slightly ridiculous.

"We put aside the fact that auxiliary officials from commoner backgrounds couldn't fight the civil officials from the imperial examination, and put aside the psychological changes and interest betrayals brought about by their own class leap. Let's discuss one problem: the problem of this auxiliary official representative."

The donkey in the Bayi old master's house would give a thumbs up after seeing Zhu Zhu Yijun's diligence, saying: "When it comes to grinding, you are still the best!"

"For example, 'clothing and crown beasts' originally referred to the badges on the clothes of high officials, but its meaning slowly became 'glamorous on the outside but morally corrupt.' Then the imperial court is wrong, and the folk are right? How can you guarantee that what this auxiliary official promotes and advocates is really for the benefit of the country and the people?"

Prince Zhu Zhu Zaiyu was very crazy because he had talent. As soon as he entered the palace, he wanted to give the Emperor a math lesson.

"Like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, promoting commoners to auxiliary officials—they couldn't even stand firm in the court themselves. With more help, they still couldn't stand firm."

Young Master Huang was too knowledgeable!

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "After the Secretariat was abolished in the thirteenth year of Emperor Hongwu, the four auxiliary officials were established. These four auxiliary officials were all Confucian scholars who rose from the common people. The *Imperial Ming Ancestral Instructions* says: 'Moreover, you were commoners yesterday, and today you assist me in managing the lives of the people, standing out from the crowd, bringing glory to your ancestors, heaven and man celebrate together, what a grand occasion! You should assist in governance and transform the world, to bring peace to the people and achieve supreme governance.'"

The reason was also very simple: these auxiliary officials from commoner backgrounds were not the opponents of the scholar-officials in the court at all.

"What do you think?" Zhu Zhu Yijun asked, seeing Li Zhi refused to answer.

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Li Zhi, don't you think your expression is too empty and not specific enough? Who supervises? How to supervise? Who dismisses? How to dismiss? According to the absolute suppression from top to bottom based on class theory, how can the poor laborers supervise and dismiss those who hold power?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a complex face, "Because they can't fight them. These scholars' hearts are too vicious."

"Ah, this..." Li Zhi was silent. This first shot of his in the capital seemed to have misfired. Before it was even fired, he was left speechless by a Young Master Huang. So many of his theories hadn't even begun to be described, and it was already over...

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with great emotion, "This is like a step, needing to be walked up step by step. Duke Jiangling was also from a poor family—the Jiangling family only had a door—but he walked step by step to the Zhao Wenhua Hall. Every step he walked was building up momentum. The people behind him became more and more numerous, and finally, Duke Jiangling could decide the fate of Great Ming."

Packaging, "putting the wrong hat on the wrong head."

"Actually, your proposition has the biggest difficulty in convincing the Emperor. Think about it, that is the Emperor! These officials selected through the imperial examination are all students of the Son of Heaven. The monarch and teacher are one, the monarch and state are one, the monarch and father are one. You want the Emperor to give up power and give the bell to the biggest cat—the Emperor. How do you convince the Emperor?" Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "You have to think about this problem well."

Lin Lin Fucheng was also sitting under the stage, watching Li Zhi's joke. As soon as Li Zhi entered the capital, he had put Lin Lin Fucheng on the pillar of shame as a "traitor of the freedom faction." Now it was Li Zhi's turn to suffer.

Lin Lin Fucheng's secret to standing tall was that he never mentioned solutions and ideas; he just pointed out problems. As for how to solve them, he wasn't a court official. This was a very clear line; Lin Lin Fucheng never crossed it. ===== CHAPTER 555 =====

The reason is also very simple: these assistant officials from commoner backgrounds are simply no match for the scholar-officials in the imperial court.

"What do you think?" Zhu Zhu Yijun continued to press when he saw Li Zhi refusing to answer.

Zhu Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Li Zhi, don't you think your statement is too empty and lacks substance? Who will supervise? How will they supervise? Who will dismiss? How will they dismiss? According to the absolute suppression from top to bottom based on class theory, how can the poor and the laborers supervise or dismiss those who hold power?"

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a complex expression, "Because they can't win the fight; the hearts of these scholars are too vicious."

"Ah, this..." Li Zhi fell silent. His first "cannon shot" in the capital seemed to have misfired. Before he could even fire it, he had been rendered speechless by a Young Master Huang. So many of his theories hadn't even begun to be described before they had already come to an end...

Zhu Zhu Yijun said with deep emotion, "This is like a flight of stairs; you need to walk up step by step. Duke Jiangling also came from a humble background—his family only had a doorway to their name—but he walked step by step to the Hall of Literary Brilliance. Every step he took was about building momentum. The people behind him grew more and more numerous, and in the end, Duke Jiangling could determine the fate of the Great Ming."

Packaging, and passing off one thing as another.

"Actually, the greatest difficulty with your proposition is persuading the Emperor. Think about it—that is the Emperor! These officials selected by officials are all students of the Son of Heaven; the ruler and teacher are one, the ruler and the state are one, the ruler and the father are one. You want the Emperor to relinquish power, to hang the bell on the neck of the biggest cat—the Emperor. How do you intend to persuade him?" Zhu Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "You need to think this problem through well."

Lin Lin Fucheng was also sitting in the audience, watching Li Zhi make a fool of himself. As soon as Li Zhi entered the capital, he had branded Lin Lin Fucheng with the shameful label of a "traitor to the liberal faction." Now, it was Li Zhi's turn to suffer a setback.

The secret to Lin Lin Fucheng's enduring success was that he never proposed solutions or lines of thought; he only pointed out the problems. As for how to solve them, he wasn't a high-ranking official of the imperial court. This was a very clear line, and Lin Lin Fucheng never crossed it.