Chapter 87

Zhu Yijun watched Xu Jie quietly.

Sure enough, these people understood everything, knew everything, and were just consciously watching the rise and fall of the dynasty.

Xu Jie understood the situation but had no intention of taking action.

He presented the five major ills of the world yesterday, and his insight into the world situation could be described as clear as fire.

Now at a life-and-death juncture, he spoke eloquently and hit the nail on the head, and his insight and talent almost made him want to beat the rhythm and praise him.

Was Xu Jie wrong? Actually, there was nothing wrong with it.

The basic operation of the Great Ming Dynasty was no different from the central government.

The central government was controlled by the Emperor in the general direction, but the daily government affairs had to be handed over to the civil and military officials.

The Great Ming Dynasty was built by the central government, while the basic operation of the local areas was completed by the government and gentry together.

The Emperor could not replace the Cabinet and the Six Ministries and take charge of the world's major affairs by himself.

The central government naturally could not micromanage local affairs.

This was because human power had its limits, not because anyone designed it this way.

But in this way, the power and responsibility were consistent; the imperial court could not bear the responsibility of governing counties and townships, so the responsibility and power were naturally filled by official households and gentry together and quickly.

This was the fundamental contradiction of the Great Ming Dynasty now.

The basic operation of society was controlled by the gentry; township security, childhood enlightenment, plowing and harvesting, supporting the orphans and widows, and even the most basic stability were all the credit of the gentry.

It could be said that the basic governance of the Great Ming Dynasty was tied to this tenant system.

At the same time, these gentry—more accurately, called official households.

These official households, due to the imperial court's regulations, had the privilege of exempting from taxes and corvée; although they still needed to pay regular taxes, it was a drop in the bucket.

Moreover, because of their official background, local officials and clerks were either colluding with them or were simply their students and former subordinates.

It was naturally easy to talk to one's own people.

If there were any difficulties, it was just a matter of saying hello.

This added a layer of invisible privilege outside of the formal privilege, which was hiding fields and population.

The gentry and official households lived in peace, so the extra burden naturally returned to the common people.

When the common people went bankrupt, they had to offer it to official households to seek a chance to breathe.

In this way, official households were like rolling a snowball, not serving corvée, not paying miscellaneous taxes, and still hiding fields and population.

The means of production did not disappear, but were collected by the official households and landlords.

The central government could not collect taxes, so it would increase the burden again, and the heavy burden was all pressed on the common people who did not offer it, who could only abandon their land and flee, becoming refugees.

The gentry grew stronger day by day, while the common people at both ends and the central government gradually withered.

Therefore, in the late years of a dynasty, refugees often arose, the central government was powerless, and local forces were everywhere; this was called systematic collapse.

Whose problem was it?

The gentry and official households? But from the perspective of official households, Xu Jie had already made it very clear that someone had to manage what the central government could not manage.

While bearing responsibility, the expansion of power was an inevitable thing.

Then could the imperial court be blamed? But imperial power did not reach the township; was it that the Emperor himself was unwilling?

Geography, transportation, and administrative costs were all objectively existing problems that never shifted with the Emperor's will.

The people? The people were the most innocent, but anyone who blamed the people for a word was heartless.

From their respective angles, there were reasons that could be brought out, and the world naturally perished.

Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Jie and praised him sincerely: "Xu Qing, you truly have great talent; you are a good person, why become a thief."

Xu Jie hurriedly stood up and said urgently: "Your Majesty, I am not a thief!"

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "When I was free, I read 'Miscellaneous Records of the Court and the Public since Jianyan', and only then did I know that in the two Song dynasties, in the tiny land, during the Xining and Yuanfeng years, the annual income was more than 60 million, and even at the beginning of the Yuanyou years, after removing the harshness, the annual income was still more than 48 million."

"Our dynasty has a vast territory, but the annual income is less than half."

"The central government is lacking in wealth, and the people are in distress; hasn't all the silver been eaten away by you people?"

"You people eat the benefits of the country, can't you be called national thieves?"

Zhu Yijun waved his hand to signal Li Jin to grant Xu Jie a seat.

Li Jin brought a low stool, and Xu Jie was in a dilemma, wanting to speak but stopping.

Zhu Yijun picked up the "Memorial on the Five Major Ills of the World" on the desk, looked at Xu Jie and said: "What you just said is one of the ills in the memorial, I have read it, and I deeply agree."

"You said that the gentry is the foundation of local governance, I acknowledge it."

"Apportioning miscellaneous taxes is a necessary price for the government to govern the local area, I also acknowledge it."

"The people offered it to you only to avoid taxes, and much of it was voluntary, I can still acknowledge it."

"But..."

He looked at Xu Jie seriously: "The world has perished because of this, Xu Qing, do you acknowledge it or not?"

Xu Jie was silent.

His previous words were naturally not for the sake of sophistry.

But to analyze the ills for the Emperor and find the root cause.

The Emperor wanted to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, while he was frankly telling the Emperor that this was an unavoidable problem under the regulations of the entire Great Ming Dynasty.

Ills grew, and it was not just one or two people doing this.

The entire Great Ming Dynasty was playing the same drama as him, Xu Jie, annexing and evading taxes.

The root cause was that the central government did not have the ability to govern the local area.

As long as the central government could not cure the root cause, local gentry would still act like this, which was not something that killing the chicken to warn the monkeys could solve.

Since that was the case, why not give the chicken a way to live?

But the Emperor kept holding on to the cause of the world's decline and only asked who should be responsible for it.

He was almost saying that he, Xu Jie, had to be responsible for the signs of the country's demise.

It was truly speechless.

If he wanted to argue, there was naturally room for maneuver, but he was not here to talk, but to seek life, so he naturally needed to consider it carefully.

In Xu Jie's mind, he recalled the temperament of this Emperor he heard yesterday—.

As long as there was nothing in the eyes of this holy monarch, and he was dull and stupid, without any self, then he would not look at him more.

Conversely, like Gao Gong, although he did such a rebellious thing as forcing the monarch, the Emperor still praised his high spirit and firm will several times in private.

Even the current recognized Yan Song reborn, Li Zaiting, was not simply flattering, but flattering with his own way and reason.

Precisely because of this, Xu Jie dared to stand from the perspective of the gentry and say those words righteously.

This was his way of being an official, catering to his preferences and speaking with substance.

Now facing the Emperor's questioning, Xu Jie could not help but plead guilty; just like the Emperor could acknowledge his reason, facts were always irrefutable, and if it was sophistry, it would become empty talk.

However, pleading guilty was pleading guilty, but he could not lose his integrity.

Xu Jie immediately thought of a strategy and met the Emperor's gaze: "Your Majesty, dynasties have indeed perished because of the annexation of countless Xu Jies, but..."

His expression was high-spirited: "The rotation of the four seasons, the ripening of melons, the wind, rain, and thunder, are all the Mandate of Heaven!"

"Annexation is just a link in the Mandate of Heaven of the dynasty; I do not think it is a crime, I do not accept it!"

Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Jie unexpectedly.

He didn't know Xu Jie had such integrity; it was truly strange!

But it had to be said that this behavior made him look at him with higher regard.

Zhu Yijun also became interested; he waved his hand to let Li Jin and others go down.

After there was no one around, he asked: "Continue."

Xu Jie said eloquently: "Your Majesty, annexation cannot be suppressed!"

"China has three thousand years of history; big countries swallow small countries, big merchants eat small merchants, big clans eat small people, it has existed since ancient times, and there has never been a saying of stopping it."

"Silver and money go to many places, and streams always flow into rivers."

"The central government is gradually withering, the small people's marrow is exhausted and blood is dry, while officials, rich merchants, and landlords are expanding day by day; even if there is prosperity and decline or heaven-sent luck, it is only a small number, and it is not until the old and new alternate, and another round passes, that there will be variables."

"This is a link in the Mandate of Heaven, it is not that Your Majesty can hold the middle and bleed for both ends!"

Xu Jie's expression was firm.

This was catering to the Emperor's preferences, and also exhausting what he thought in his heart.

Annexation could not be stopped by killing.

Power and wealth always gradually gather; although it is unclear, this is the truth he observed throughout his life.

The so-called unity of knowledge and action, since he realized it, he would naturally join it; this is the enlightenment of Heart Learning.

Zhu Yijun finally could not help but clap his hands and praise.

"What a Heart Learning disciple!"

"What a unity of knowledge and action to reach conscience!"

"I said how a person like Xu Shaohu could be so at ease doing these things; it turns out it is such a conscience!"

This was not sarcasm, this was sincere.

Although these words seemed chaotic, they also got the essence of class solidification.

As Xu Jie said, in any prosperous age, resources always tend to be concentrated, just in different forms of expression.

Land annexation, monopoly by rich merchants, and three generations of watching are all this truth.

Xu Jie saw it clearly and chose to join without hesitation; he could not help but praise him as a master of Heart Learning.

Seeing the Emperor's reaction, Xu Jie hesitated whether it was a bit too much.

What if the Emperor could not refute it, became angry, and executed him, what should he do?

While Xu Jie was hesitating, Zhu Yijun finally spoke again: "So Xu Qing thinks that the Mandate of Heaven is like this, so in all dynasties, when it is time for the four seasons to rotate, there is no need to struggle?"

The former hesitated for a moment, but still explained: "Your Majesty, it is not like this; the response of the central government is also a link in the Mandate of Heaven."

Why did new parties emerge in all dynasties when they were about to die?

It was because prosperity led to decline, and there must be a struggle, which was also part of the Mandate of Heaven.

But at the same time, this could not change the fate of the four seasons rotating.

Therefore, when he was in the imperial court, he worked hard, presented matters of imperial captives, urged school administration, helped Hai Rui, and supported Prince Yu.

But returning to the identity of a local gentry, he annexed land, controlled the township, and fish-meated the people.

This was Xu Jie's Heart Learning; in his position, he planned his affairs—he asked himself to unite knowledge and action.

Zhu Yijun nodded: "Xu Qing's words solved my doubts, and I also have something to say."

The former sat upright, already planning that no matter what the Emperor said, he would directly bow—he had already performed enough, it was time to plead.

Zhu Yijun stood up and waved his hands habitually: "I understand Xu Qing's meaning."

"I have been studying history and observing politics for quite a while."

"From Shang and Zhou to Song and Yuan, from eunuchs to ministers, from local to central, I have witnessed countless rises and falls."

"The so-called 'its rise is rapid, its fall is sudden'. One person, one family, one clique, one place, and even one dynasty are all in this Mandate of Heaven of the four seasons rotating."

"In history, there are those who are 'lazy in politics and eunuchs succeed', those who 'people die and politics end', and those who 'seek glory and take shame'; in short, they are all in the rotation of the four seasons that Xu Qing said."

"Xu Qing calls it the Mandate of Heaven, and also thinks that the annexation that promotes this Mandate of Heaven is also unstoppable and should follow the trend."

"Thus, he willingly falls and adds fuel to the fire."

Speaking of this, Zhu Yijun paused: "But, outside of Xu Qing's reason, I also have a reason."

His expression gradually became profound, and his tone became inexplicable: "First, whether annexation is the Mandate of Heaven and whether it can be suppressed are two different things."

"In the pre-Qin period, to suppress annexation, the noble well-field system was turned into small-scale self-cultivation."

"In the two Han dynasties, to suppress annexation, the powerful were moved to Guanzhong."

"Wei and Tang had the equal-field system."

"Song had the square field and equal tax law."

"The four seasons rotate, and it always moves forward year by year; Xu Qing, the suppression of annexation has been done in all dynasties, and each generation is more exquisite than the last; how can you conclude that it will not succeed in the future?"

"Even if it is truly an unstoppable Mandate of Heaven, if I don't try it, how can I be reconciled!?"

"Second, the rotation of the four seasons you see makes you willingly fall and go with the flow; I, look down on it!"

"The three emperors of ancient times wore animal skins, but now ordinary rich households can wear silk and brocade."

"The nobles of the pre-Qin period used bamboo slips for books, but now ordinary scholars can also write with ink on hemp paper."

"Smallpox, which Tang and Song were helpless against, has saved countless lives after the Ningguo Prefecture spread the technique of inoculation."

"Xu Qing, the four seasons rotate, but all things have not stopped evolving."

"The Mandate of Heaven of the four seasons rotating is not as great as the Great Dao of the evolution of all things."

"Xu Qing, I tell you clearly, even if our dynasty is destined to collapse, I will not wait for death like you!"

"Annexation, if you do one point, you will have one point of effect, and the people will be able to breathe a little more; how can I stop?"

"Even if it is the day before the dynasty collapses, I will not stop doing what I should do!"

After Zhu Yijun finished speaking, the hall fell into a moment of silence.

Xu Jie's lips moved, and he closed his mouth again.

He almost could not help but discuss the Dao with the Emperor, but then thought of his situation and endured it.

At this time, his mood was very complicated.

He originally held the attitude of catering to the Emperor's temperament to show his reason and integrity, but he did not intend to hear any insightful views from the Emperor.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor was truly beyond his expectations.

The reason he just said, although there were elements of affectation, was also somewhat from the bottom of his heart.

The scholarly family passed down from generation to generation, the increasingly expanding local landlords, and the merchants in all walks of life who squeezed out newcomers.

If nothing else, the many small officials and clerks that Hai Rui killed in the Southern Zhili this time were almost all passed down from father to son.

This was human nature, not that anyone deliberately wanted to harm the country.

Spontaneous, that meant a natural trend—he did not think the Great Ming Dynasty could be an exception.

Just didn't expect... Xu Jie looked at the Emperor, it was truly a newborn calf, he sighed in his heart.

High-spirited, indulging in his own way, sure enough, as his students and former subordinates said, the current Emperor is polite but stubborn, gentle but conceited!

He disdained the Mandate of Heaven and intended to turn the world around by his own ability.

He even spoke wildly about some Great Dao, looking like he would not fear failure and would not change his original intention!

For Xu Jie, the Emperor's words were somewhat delusional, but he still could not help but start to admire this youthful spirit.

The Emperor before him was like all smart people when they were young—including him, Xu Jie.

Xu Jie's expression was dazed; when he was young, he also thought that everything was like the rising sun, as long as there was effort, it could always be like this.

However, when he grew older and experienced too much helplessness, he understood what the Mandate of Heaven meant.

Thinking of this, a surge of anger suddenly rose in his heart.

The Emperor had his firmness, but which smart person was not like this? Who hadn't experienced this stage!?

Just because he was a newborn calf, did he have the qualification to point fingers at his unity of knowledge and action!?

Wasn't Shizong like this when he was young? Concentrated, not a single thing without effort, also like the rising sun, but what happened later?

Why does the Emperor think he can be consistent!?

After experiencing it and seeing too much helplessness, does he still have the face to say these words?

Thinking of this, Xu Jie took a deep breath and suppressed his impatience—life and death are in the hands of others, so he cannot change his expression casually.

But, since the Emperor said so, he wanted to see what the Emperor could do in the end.

Whether it is reversing the Mandate of Heaven or becoming ordinary!

Who is right and who is wrong is not just looking at who says the bigger words.

Xu Jie did not answer for a long time, and the hall was silent for a while.

After a long time, there was movement.

Xu Jie collected his mind, bowed respectfully, and pleaded guilty: "Your Majesty's lesson is right, I already know my crime!"

"Please Your Majesty show mercy and forgive the crimes I committed when I was confused before."

"Allow me, in my remaining years, to unite knowledge and action one last time, to put the knowledge Your Majesty taught me into action, and to contribute my meager strength to Your Majesty's grand plan."

(End of chapter)