Chapter 596: Looking at Song and Dance in Vermilion Gates, Fearing the Spring Yin Will Choke the Pipes and Strings

In March of the twelfth year of Wanli, the Great Ming court passed the additional luxury tax. For example, an ink paste that was previously priced at 20 taels of silver had a tax of one out of thirty for sedentary merchants, which was 6 mace 7 candareens of silver. Now that the tax has been increased to 30%, it requires a tax payment of 6 taels of silver.

This kind of tax is a special tax, and the catalog of commodities is very clear.

Moreover, the tax collection is not done by collecting from the sedentary merchants, but by setting up tax inspection rooms on both sides of the street to specifically clarify the tax payments.

Using all kinds of schemes and means, one can actually avoid it, but no one will prove whether the things in your hands are real or fake.

The essence of luxury goods is waste, and the purpose of waste is to show off. If you don't pay taxes and don't have a tax ticket, no one knows whether the extravagant items in your hands are real or fake. Then the greatest exchange value and emotional value of luxury goods will vanish.

Clearly, it is clothing made of the same Shu brocade and Sichuan satin in a clothing store, the style is exactly the same, and a lot of money was spent, but because of the lack of certification, it only brings ridicule instead of envious gazes and praise.

The "Money Worship Religion," believing that money is omnipotent, is essentially a negation of the value created by labor. Negating the labor value theory is negating that personal effort can change destiny. The final result is that the entire Great Ming society, from top to bottom, loses its vitality.

The Great Ming has entered a stage where there is nothing left to annex and nothing left to merge. Personal effort and diligent labor cannot even maintain a basic life. If the Money Worship Religion spreads further, then the Great Ming's overall loss of vitality and the systemic failure of the court will not be far away.

Can personal effort really change destiny? Zhu Yijun couldn't say for sure, but he had been trying his best to do so, so that personal effort would have a return and labor would have its rewards.

Zhu Yijun was very cautious about tax increases. In twelve years, he only increased taxes twice. One was the direct profit tax on going to sea, which was called the "Defection Tax" by the commoners—a tax for betraying the Great Ming and fleeing the Great Ming, which could be paid to leave freely, carrying a very clear derogatory meaning. The second was the luxury tax currently being implemented.

Actually, besides these two tax increases, there was another one, which was the "Single Whip Law" implemented in Songjiang Prefecture.

This was also the reason why Yan Shixuan made up his mind to leave Shanghai County. Yan Shixuan was not a "Heavenly Person" like Shen Shixing or Yao Guangqi. Facing a situation where contradictions and conflicts would definitely be more intense, Yan Shixuan could only choose to escape.

Zhu Yijun never considered Yan Shixuan's evasion a shameful act, just as Wang Zhigao had chosen to leave the Wenhua Hall back then, not daring to continue walking down that path.

Escaping is not shameful, because the officialdom is so cruel. If you have no one in the court, your official career is like walking through the Flame Mountain in the dog days of summer, without even a place to shade yourself. And clearly, the implementation of the Single Whip Law was a dangerous situation like walking through the Flame Mountain in the dog days of summer.

The Single Whip Law aims to solve the various harsh taxes and levies set up under false pretenses—that is, to merge the numerous corvée and miscellaneous taxes, compile them into one, and convert them into silver for tax payment. It aims to solve the incompleteness of the Great Ming's fiscal and tax system, which is a stubborn disease left over from the Hongwu years since the establishment of the Great Ming. It aims to solve the transition from real-object tax to currency tax.

Moreover, the Single Whip Law aims to solve the problem of the heavy burden on the commoners. Sun Kehong of the Songjiang Sun family said very clearly that the Single Whip Law is a tax increase, but the more thoroughly and thoroughly the Single Whip Law is executed, the lighter the burden on the commoners will be.

The more taxes are increased, the lighter the burden on the commoners—just like the more taxes are increased, the more annexation can be suppressed—is a paradox, but it is reasonable under the special national conditions of the Great Ming.

Since the Hongwu years set the land tax at one out of thirty, the Great Ming land tax seems very, very low, but actually, there has been a transportation cost problem since the Hongwu years. At that time, it was "people-solved, government-collected," meaning the commoners transported it to the county or prefecture government office themselves. How much grain was wasted in the transportation of these dozens or hundreds of miles? How much was there from the locality to the court?

Later, it was changed to "government-solved, government-collected," but the government also had to levy corvée labor. The transportation cost problem was still a huge expenditure that needed additional levies.

But changing to silver made it much simpler.

Every year, the Great Ming takes 4 million piculs of grain tribute from the Southern Yamen. Many officials in the Southern Yamen bring silver to Songjiang Prefecture and buy imported grain directly. The grain doesn't even leave the ship and enters the capital directly. In this way, the local yamen also unloaded the heavy burden of transportation costs. Of course, this money—the four-difference silver and corvée silver—still had to be collected, but it all fell into the pockets of the local yamen.

From the basic operating logic of the Great Ming court, it can be seen that the court and the government are just ruling tools in the hands of the ruling class. And the ruling class of the Great Ming is very clear: hereditary officials and official-selection-of-officials, and the local gentry and powerful and wealthy families who give birth to official-selection-of-officials.

And the "State Dynasty" tool can both fish for benefits and ensure their social status.

The Single Whip Law is to move the cake of the powerful and wealthy families and local yamen. It is an infighting of the ruling class. Facing this degree of contradiction and conflict, Yan Shixuan choosing to leave is assessing the situation, and it is also helplessness. If Yan Shixuan were of Wang Chonggu's faction instead of an ordinary Jin Party member, he would also dare to fight to the last moment in Shanghai County!

"Yan Shixuan's escape is not shameful, because he chose to leave only after knowing that Yao Guangqi had arrived in Shanghai County. This is also a kind of responsibility." Zhu Yijun personally wrote a letter to Yan Shixuan, encouraging him to work hard after arriving in Hangzhou Prefecture. Along with the letter, there was the newly printed "Records of Officialdom: From Entry to Power."

This is both an affirmation and an encouragement. Compared to the first battlefield of Songjiang Prefecture, the second battlefield of Zhejiang is equally important. The Zhejiang Provincial Governors Zhu Wan, Li Tianchong, and Hu Zongxian died one after another in that position because of suppressing the Japanese pirates. Regardless of whether it was the Yan Party or the pure officials, during the Jiajing era, as long as one suppressed the Japanese pirates, one had to die.

Therefore, Yan Shixuan going to Hangzhou to serve as Prefect cannot relax his vigilance either.

Yan Shixuan is not irresponsible. Yao Guangqi had long made his choice. The nickname "Seaweed King" destined Yao Guangqi to only walk on the path of seeking benefits for the commoners, without any other choice. Yao Guangqi has a scar on his face, which is his medal of honor for protecting the interests of the commoners.

"Your Majesty, the memorials and study notes from Hohhot." Feng Bao presented several other memorials.

Zhu Yijun received the second volume of study notes from Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi on the grasslands. This volume of notes was still daring, but "daring" didn't mean accusing the State Dynasty of losing its soul, but that the behavior was too bold.

The content discussed was still the alienation of people by religion.

Lin Fucheng and his party arrived smoothly in Hohhot. The Suiyuan Provincial Administration Commissioner received them with extremely high specifications. The Third San Niangzi also tactfully expressed the hope that Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi could say some good words. As the First-Rank Loyal and Obedient San Niangzi conferred by the Great Ming, the Third San Niangzi had a very clear understanding of Young Master Huang's identity.

The Third San Niangzi knew clearly that the harvest of Lin Fucheng's study tour would reach the Emperor's ears directly, so she naturally didn't dare to be negligent.

But Lin Fucheng still criticized Hohhot, criticizing Hohhot's religion, which was somewhat ungrateful.

There was a Lama temple near Hohhot with extremely prosperous incense. Every third day of the third lunar month, a Dharma assembly would be held. Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi only then learned that the Dharma assembly on the third day of the third lunar month existed universally—it was when spring flowers bloomed and rivers thawed.

Spring on the grasslands is much later than in the interior. The third day of the third lunar month is the busiest time.

The grassland Dharma assembly has big problems! Because it affects the spring plowing on the grasslands, people all run to attend the Dharma assembly, and the result is that the spring plowing is delayed.

In the Great Ming, when spring silkworms are about to spit silk, even if the County Magistrate goes to the countryside, he cannot beat gongs and clear the way, because the spring silkworms will be frightened and won't spit silk, or even die of shock. In the Great Ming, when an old cow gives birth to a calf, everyone must be light-footed, and the yamen must send yamen runners to offer congratulations and record it in the files.

The Great Ming Law clearly stipulates that from the first month to the third month, no yamen can levy corvée labor without reason, unless there is an imperial decree. But the Emperor generally won't easily issue such an imperial decree to avoid being scolded.

In the fifth month when wheat is harvested, the child students in the county school will have a holiday—it's for harvesting wheat.

Protect production or protect rituals? The Great Ming's choice has been very clear and hasn't changed for over two hundred years: protect production.

But the grasslands are not like this. The Lama temple in Hohhot blows trumpets and beats drums, and the Dharma assembly lasts for half a month, and almost all the young and strong men have to go.

Lin Fucheng directly turned into a big sprayer, ran to the Lama temple to make trouble, and at the Dharma assembly, he spoke wildly, angrily spraying these big Lamas for not doing human things. The big Lamas were scolded for a long time, but in the end, they still didn't dare to talk back and chose to dissolve the Dharma assembly, letting the strong men go home to work in the spring.

The big Lamas originally wanted to scold back, and even mobilize the monk soldiers to sew up Lin Fucheng's mouth. Scholars scolding on the street is much more ruthless than shrews scolding on the street, because many times, the big Lamas couldn't understand what was being scolded at all, just knowing it was very dirty.

But the big Lamas looked at Chen Mo and these secret agents silently setting up tiger-crouching cannons, and immediately sobered up, choosing to admit defeat. Chen Mo's imperial order was to protect the safety of these scholars on a study tour. No matter what mistakes this study tour group made, only His Majesty could judge them.

The spring plowing on the grasslands, besides planting pasture, is shearing sheep wool. These are all things that must be done in this season; otherwise, the sheep wool will naturally fall off in the spring breeze and blow everywhere. Only children and women cannot finish these tasks.

And because the pasture is planted too late, it happens to be unable to supply the terrifying appetite of the mother sheep before and after the lambs are born.

Lin Fucheng felt that the grassland people were crazy. The plan for the year lies in spring. In such an important time, what kind of Dharma assembly are they holding! Can Buddha give food, clothes, and supplies! It's simply nonsense!

Lin Fucheng was completely emotional output, scolding as ugly as possible, while Li Zhi explored the reasons.

Li Zhi started with the poem "Praying for Rain" by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Yue.

"Mulberry branches have no leaves, the earth produces smoke; flutes and pipes welcome the dragon in front of the water temple. In vermilion gates, people watch songs and dances; fearing the spring yin will choke the pipes and strings."

There is no rain during a long drought, the mulberry trees cannot grow leaves, the land is cracked, and when the wind blows, dust flies; people beat gongs and drums to come to the Dragon King Temple to pray for rain.

And the wealthy families inside the vermilion gates are still watching songs and dances, hearing that someone has gone to the Dragon King Temple to pray for rain, worrying that the continuous spring rain will make the pipes and strings damp, unable to emit beautiful sounds.

The standpoint is different, so the way of looking at problems is different. Under the drought where the scorching sun is like fire and the wild fields of grain are half withered, the commoners only hope for rain, while the wealthy families don't have to worry about the impact of the drought at all, and they are more concerned about whether the pipes and strings will be damp.

The Dharma assembly on the third day of the third lunar month that exists universally on the grasslands is also like this.

The nobles who support the Lamas in holding such Dharma assemblies don't actually have to worry about the loss of sheep wool, don't have to worry about the lambs being malnourished, and don't have to worry about the lambs starving to death because the mother sheep's milk is insufficient, because the wealth in their hands will not decrease. At worst, they will make the poor commoners and laborers suffer more, and the Lamas will bear the bad name.

After Lin Fucheng made trouble at the water and land Dharma assembly, the Third San Niangzi specifically submitted a memorial to explain.

The Third San Niangzi's memorial explained why the Dharma assembly was held during the busy spring season. Actually, it was just that no one had thought about this problem, because they were in the middle of it and were used to it, not feeling there was any problem. It wasn't until someone pointed out the problem that they were incomparably annoyed. Such a simple truth had not been noticed or mentioned by anyone before.

In the Emperor's New Clothes, only the child who spoke without taboo pointed out that the Emperor was not wearing clothes. It's not that there are no smart people on the grasslands, or that no one saw the problem, but that they were unwilling to meddle in other people's business. The poor commoners and laborers had no matter how much resentment, it couldn't reach the Third San Niangzi's ears.

The Third San Niangzi is also the ruling class on the grasslands. The ancient problem of "information from above reaching below" also exists universally on the grasslands. The Third San Niangzi made a guarantee that the big Lamas' Dharma assembly would not be held during the busy spring season again, but if there is any violation, she would order the big Lamas to return to secular life and burn the Lama temple to the ground.

In the memorial, the Third San Niangzi also tactfully expressed the hope that His Majesty the Emperor could manage the Jin merchants. They are lending money at high interest on the grasslands and have already made a lot of money. Give the border people a way to survive.

Zhu Yijun specifically replied to the Third San Niangzi about the Jin merchants lending money at high interest. Wang Chonggu had already issued a warning to the Jin merchants and stipulated that the annual interest rate for high-interest loans should not exceed one part, meaning the annual interest rate should not exceed 10%, and explicitly prohibited violent debt collection.

The border people need to survive, and the Jin merchants lending money at high interest also need to survive. In this year of natural and man-made disasters, a white-haired wind freezes 30% of the livestock to death. If the Jin merchants' interest rates are any lower, they will lose money. There are people who do business that costs their heads, but no one does business that loses money.

In the past, when the border people belonged to Altan Khan, the Great Ming Emperor's attitude was: "Lend, lend as much as you can! Suck blood as much as you can!" When Suiyuan belonged to the Great Ming, Zhu Yijun's attitude changed immediately and made clear restrictions.

"The Loyal and Obedient San Niangzi still has a submissive heart. After discovering the problem, she immediately made arrangements. Her position is also suffering from both sides—on one hand, local customs, and on the other, the Great Ming court's political decrees. Although the content discussed by Lin Fucheng and Li Zhi—the alienation of people by religion—does not have universality in the Great Ming interior, it is very suitable for the grasslands, Western Regions, and Sichuan-Tibet regions." Zhu Yijun organized the memorial and handed it to Feng Bao, sending a copy to Li Shunchen by the way.

The West indeed also needs discussion on the alienation of people by religion.

Feng Bao took the memorial and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, the alienation of people by religion is also universally applicable in the Great Ming interior. Between the villages, all kinds of licentious sacrifices are countless. It is still necessary to discuss and destroy these licentious sacrifices, to trace the source and clarify the origin. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, there was a cold-gate Emperor, Liu Yu, who was like gold and iron horses."

"Liu Yu campaigned north all the way, destroying all licentious sacrifices along the way."

The Emperor is a bit optimistic about the Great Ming interior. In the eyes of Feng Bao, this Inner Minister, the freedom discussed by Lin Fucheng, Li Zhi, and these liberal factions is actually a question that cannot be determined. People are people, everyone is a person. How to make people change from being under the gentry, religion, and power into real people is Feng Bao's understanding of freedom.

"Licentious" means indulgent, excessive, excessive, losing its restraint, and not conforming to the law.

The "Book of Rites, Qu Li" says: "If you sacrifice to what you shouldn't sacrifice to, it is called a licentious sacrifice. Licentious sacrifices have no blessings."

Gods approved by the court to be worshipped are righteous gods, all of which carry the court's titles; those not approved by the court cannot be worshipped, and they are evil gods, which are licentious sacrifices.

"Inner Minister Feng is right, it is also of great significance to the Great Ming interior." Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and approved Feng Bao's remonstrance. As an Inner Minister, he not only knows how to speak ill of civil officials, but he is also dutiful in advising the Emperor and blaming Chen Shan.

"Li Zhi has another memorial." Feng Bao took out another memorial. The Directorate of Ceremonial organized the memorials to make them more logical.

Li Zhi additionally discussed the alienation of people by power. The alienation of people by power, religion, money, etc., is Li Zhi's topic, and Li Zhi is still perfecting it.

On the topic of the alienation of people, when Li Zhi discussed it, he tried his best to avoid discussing the alienation of people by power, because the source of power, His Majesty the Emperor, would review the manuscript.

But Li Zhi still tried hard to discuss these taboo topics in front of the imperial power that had the power of life and death over him.

"Li Zhi's courage is truly great." Zhu Yijun looked at the memorial in his hand and said sincerely, "This must be changed before it can be published. It is still somewhat rebellious."

Li Zhi first flattered the Emperor, praising the brilliance and martial arts of the Taizu High Emperor and the literary and martial arts of the Chengzu Wen Emperor, calling Zhu Yuanzhang: "One of the emperors of thousands of years." "Eternal" can no longer evaluate him; it takes thousands of years to describe such a hero.

Li Zhi first laid on a pile of flattery, praising the brilliant martial prowess of the founding Emperor Taizu and the literary and military strategies of Emperor Chengzu. He called Zhu Yuanzhang "the one emperor in ten thousand ages." "Through the ages" was no longer enough to evaluate him; it took ten thousand ages of time to produce such a hero to describe him.

The whole article was aimed at the Daoist Master!

Li Zhi believed that the Shizong Emperor's late-year laziness was not only complete disappointment but also the result of the long-term alienation of the peak of power, which eventually led to the difficulty of ending well.

Having power allows one to do whatever one wants. This is the willfulness of power. The laziness in the later years formed a sharp contrast with the diligence in the early years. People will indeed lose their original heart in the boundless power and forget why they set out.

Zhu Yijun spread his hands and said, "It's fine if he talks about the Shizong Emperor. After all, the Shizong Emperor himself pinched his nose and admitted it. Hence Hai Rui submitted the 'Zhi An Shu' (Memorial on Peace and Security) for so long, and the Shizong Emperor finally couldn't make up his mind to kill Hence Hai Rui. The reason is very clear, because Hence Hai Rui was right."

"Hence Hai Rui was right, then who was wrong?"

"But he even wants to blame the late Emperor, who was a divine dragon that sees the head but not the tail and didn't manage much?"

"This servant thinks it's not unreasonable. The late Emperor was indeed a bit too doting on the eunuchs." Feng Bao actually felt that Li Zhi was right.

Li Zhi also pointed fingers at the Longqing Emperor, mainly criticizing some of the foolish things the Longqing Emperor did in the first two years of his reign.

In the first year of Longqing, the Longqing Emperor suddenly issued an imperial decree to the Cabinet, wanting to let the eunuchs Lü Yong, Gao Xiang, and Tao Jin sit in the regiment camp, coordinate the military troops of the capital camp, and set up an inner drill ground to form a clean army. As soon as this decree was issued, the Cabinet exploded!

Xu Jie, a Chief Grand Secretary who was already extremely good at protecting himself, couldn't hold on and hurriedly submitted two "Memorials Requesting the Censorate to Stop the Eunuchs from Sitting in the Camp," clarifying the pros and cons and asking the Longqing Emperor to withdraw his order.

The Longqing Emperor didn't listen.

If it were a supervising eunuch, this would be the ancestral law of eunuchs supervising the army since the Hongwu years, which has been used by all dynasties and is not a problem. But sitting in the regiment camp to coordinate—this problem is big!

Eunuchs have the power to mobilize troops and hold military power. Are they crazy?

But the Longqing Emperor just wouldn't listen. He insisted on letting these three eunuchs sit in the regiment camp. In the Longqing Emperor's view, officials were not trustworthy, and the military nobility had no talent for leading troops. If the army was not in his own hands, how could he be at ease?

It was Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng who knocked on the palace gate at night and talked and talked before convincing the Longqing Emperor to withdraw his order.

Gao Gong took out the Ten Constant Attendants of the Han Dynasty and the eunuchs of the Tang Dynasty who abolished and established nine emperors to talk about, scaring the Longqing Emperor. If you give eunuchs military power, especially the military power of the capital, the consequences will be very serious.

Since Zhu-Cheng Neo-Confucianism became the dominant learning, "there is no great righteousness after the Spring and Autumn period, only records." This school of "imitating the Three Dynasties" became the mainstream. Under the circumstance that even Great Ming scholars generally didn't read history, the Longqing Emperor didn't read history books in the Yu Mansion either.

Gao Gong could talk about the eunuchs of the Tang Dynasty abolishing and establishing nine emperors, which surprised the Longqing Emperor, who even doubted: "Is there really such a thing?"

This is also why Zhang Juzheng wanted to compile the "Imperial Mirror Illustrated." Not reading history really won't work. The times are developing, and the theories of two thousand years ago cannot explain some problems. People must keep pace with the times, and the Emperor is no exception.

And Li Zhi's criticism of the Longqing Emperor was concentrated on: "Taking it for granted."

The alienation of people by power easily produces a very universal phenomenon: "Taking it for granted."

That is, those in power set goals that are too taken for granted—impossible construction periods, impossible yields, unrealistic expansion, etc., are all results of taking it for granted. In this era, 300 catties of grain per mu in the vicinity of the capital is already a good harvest. If the Emperor doesn't understand, the 1,000 catties per mu of the Daxing County Magistrate will set off a terrible chaotic flow, affecting the implementation of the Great Ming's new policies.

Power, especially the supreme power of the Great Ming Emperor, inevitably creates an illusion that one possesses a power that transcends nature, similar to the "I think" power.

As long as I think, I can do it.

"What he said is indeed somewhat reasonable. But Inner Minister Feng, you, a head eunuch, say that the late Emperor was too doting on eunuchs. Isn't your standpoint a bit wrong?" Zhu Yijun was somewhat puzzled. Feng Bao actually didn't speak for the eunuchs.

Feng Bao thought for a while and replied, "In July of the second year of Longqing, the eunuch Xu Yi of the Imperial Horse Office led over a hundred eunuchs and caught the patrolling censor Li Xuedao at the Left Shun Gate, beating Li Xuedao up. Without an imperial order, they dared to do this. When the master didn't give an order, they dared to do this. They were no longer the master's hawks."

"Ah?" Zhu Yijun looked at Feng Bao and said in surprise, "There is such a thing?"

How arrogant the civil officials were during the Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli years can be seen from the four words "Yuanfu Dangguo" (The Chief Grand Secretary is in charge of the country). Yan Song, Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng—which one wasn't in charge of everything?

As a result, in the second year of Longqing, the censor was ambushed by eunuchs in the Imperial Palace.

Feng Bao explained clearly what happened that year. This eunuch Xu Yi, relying on his status, was robbing in the palace. This patrolling censor Li Xuedao happened to see it, naturally couldn't bear it, punished Xu Yi, and submitted a memorial to impeach Xu Yi for robbery. Xu Yi held a grudge and led people to beat Li Xuedao.

The Longqing Emperor knew that Xu Yi led over a hundred eunuchs to beat Li Xuedao and was furious. Xu Yi and over a dozen eunuchs were beaten with a hundred sticks and sent to the miasma-filled land of Yunnan. The others were beaten with sixty sticks and sent to the Xiao Ling Mausoleum to serve in the army.

The Longqing Emperor doted on the eunuchs and caused such a thing to happen, making the Emperor lose face, and he had to send Li Xuedao away, which was considered a draw.

Since then, the Longqing Emperor also discovered that he might really have no talent, so he was too lazy to manage the affairs of the outer court. Doing more leads to more mistakes, doing nothing leads to no mistakes. When the outer court sent memorials, he just stamped them and handed them to the outer court.

Everything must have a degree. Excessive trust and doting are not good things for the eunuchs themselves.

"This is also the reason why this servant thinks Li Zhi is right. It is precisely because of excessive doting and giving too much power that eunuchs like Chen Hong, Teng Xiang, and Meng Chong were so daring." Feng Bao talked about the assassination of the Emperor in the first year of Wanli. Chen Hong actually dared to collude with the outside of the palace and send people into the palace to assassinate the Emperor.

This dog biting its master is the result of alienation.

Zhu Yijun suddenly thought of Li Yougong saying that he was greedy when he saw the luxury goods street in Xiafei Street and was ready to raid the house in the name of usurpation, but in the end, he didn't do it. The reason he didn't do it was because there was an imperial decree: inner ministers going out must not disturb the locality. Li Yougong could follow the imperial decree, which was the result of not being alienated by power.

"There is some truth to it. Issue an order to the Ministry of Rites to let Grand Secretary Wan change the manuscript. That's it." Zhu Yijun still didn't intend to let Li Zhi's editorial criticizing the Emperor be published in this form. No matter how reasonable he is, he criticized the Daoist Master and the late Emperor.

As the Emperor, Zhu Yijun had no position to let this editorial be published in this form.

But the content of the discussion is worth affirming. It can be handed over to Wan Shihe to modify, change the examples, and the truth is still that truth—power makes people willful, and power makes people take things for granted.

"The 'Why don't they eat minced meat' of Emperor Hui of Jin is very good." Zhu Yijun felt that there were ready-made examples to replace it. Change the Daoist Master to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, and the late Emperor to the "Why don't they eat minced meat" of Emperor Hui of Jin.

In this way, it can also be argued, but the impact is not as strong as Li Zhi's statement. If it is published according to Li Zhi's original manuscript, without others taking action, the scholars could beat Li Zhi into the category of unloyal and unfilial, and then beat him to death completely. ===== CHAPTER 597 =====

In this way, it could also be argued, but the impact would not be as strong as Li Zhi's claim. If it were published according to Li Zhi's original manuscript, there would be no need for others to act; the literati could beat Li Zhi into the category of being disloyal and unfilial, and then thoroughly destroy him.