Chapter Fifty-Seven: Then Let Them Live in Fear!
Zhu Biao knew his imperial father's character all too well.
This was a man who was deeply proud at his very core.
One could see this from the fact that after ascending the throne, his father never shied away from the tragic hardships of his youth, never denied that he had been a Buddhist monk and a beggar.
Ever since grasping absolute power and right up to the present eighth year of Hongwu, his father had weathered countless storms without issuing a single Edict of Self-Reproach.
He had never bowed his head.
Yet now, his father was going to issue an Edict of Self-Reproach!
And he would do so precisely while flaying Li Shanchang's nephew alive, announcing the abandonment of the construction of the Central Capital, and redressing the grievances of the countless common people.
However, after recovering from the shock, a moment of reflection made it seem entirely reasonable.
Given that his father was someone who could previously shout "Long live the common people" in the presence of the masses, issuing yet another Edict of Self-Reproach was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Biao'er, do you know who holds the greatest power in a country?"
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly looked at Zhu Biao and asked.
"It is the Emperor."
Zhu Biao replied without a moment's hesitation.
Upon arriving here at the Central Capital this time, his father had swept away all obstacles with the force of a decaying withered wood, clearing the corruption and restoring a bright and clear universe to the millions of citizens.
This had left a profound and shocking impression on Zhu Biao, granting him a much deeper understanding of his father and the authority of an emperor.
Zhu Yuanzhang slowly shook his head. "Incorrect."
Zhu Biao was somewhat surprised. How could that be incorrect?
"Since the First Emperor of Qin unified all under heaven, how many emperors have there been?
And how many emperors have truly maintained their grip on power and truly lorded over the realm?
How many emperors have been treated like the deer pointed out as a horse, regarded as fools, cursed as 'dog-leg monarchs' by powerful ministers, and even beaten?
The number of emperors who died in inexplicable circumstances is too vast to count.
Though they appear as the supreme rulers of the universe with lofty status, in reality, they are worth very little."
Zhu Biao was left somewhat speechless by his father's words.
Having received a systematic education since childhood, he possessed a clear understanding of history and knew that what his father said was true.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, walked out of the room, climbed onto a side watchtower, and gazed into the distance.
Down in the streets, commoners were coming and going; further away, people were queuing up to lodge complaints with the Prefect of Fengyang...
A scene of bustling activity.
"Biao'er, remember this: these people are the ones who hold the most formidable power in a nation!"
Zhu Yuanzhang watched for a moment, then pointed down at the common folk on the streets and said to the following Zhu Biao.
Zhu Biao was startled, a look of profound shock crossing his face.
Although he had long known the saying that the ruler is the boat and the people are the water, and had witnessed firsthand his father's actions upon arriving at the Central Capital, deepening his realization, hearing his father state personally that the most powerful force in a country was not the emperor, but these ordinary common folk, still sent an indescribable shock and tremor through his heart!
"There strength in numbers; that is no empty phrase.
Do not view the common masses as wild grass or lowly ants that can be bullied and oppressed at will.
Do not think they will merely endure in silence, or that they are dispensable.
That is only because they have not yet been driven to the brink.
Once they are truly pushed to the edge, naturally someone will raise a banner, and the whole world will follow suit!
Their feet will trample the bones of nobles and ministers across the imperial streets!
Come to think of it, isn't that how your father—how I—rose up?
The land is tilled by the common people, the grain is produced by them, and all kinds of utensils are crafted by them.
Military recruits are also selected from the common masses...
Everything we possess is created by the common people.
Without these countless common folk, princes and generals would never have an easy life.
Accounting for the vast majority of the nation's population, they are the bedrock of my Great Ming!"
At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath.
He had understood some of these truths in his past life, but never with such profound clarity.
During his fifteen years in the modern era, living, studying, working, experiencing, and absorbing knowledge as an ordinary citizen, he had attained a much deeper realization of the vital position held by the common people.
He turned his head to look at Zhu Biao: "Biao'er, to be an emperor and ensure the nation remains strong and stable, you must value the people.
Not only must you know the hardships of the common folk, but you must also set about resolving them.
Truth be told, as an emperor, I should naturally stand alongside the common people.
As for the officials, many of them actually act in opposition to us.
As long as the common people can survive, they will not rebel, the emperor's life will be easier, and the throne will grow increasingly secure.
Officials are different. Many of these people who help us manage the realm have dishonest hands and feet.
Corrupt officials and greedy magistrates are simply too numerous to count.
They oppress the people and stuff themselves until grease drips from their mouths; while it looks like they are consuming the wealth of the people, in reality, they are consuming our possessions!
The common folk will not settle accounts with them; instead, every single debt is recorded against me, the emperor.
They reap the benefits, while we take the blame.
What happens when the country is eaten away by them to the point of collapse?
Then the dynasty falls, and they simply throw in their lot with the new court and continue feasting!
As for the ruin of the previous dynasty and the life or death of the former emperor and royal family, what business is that of theirs?"
As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but strike the railing fiercely with his fist.
He recalled the various historical records he had seen in the modern era concerning the late period of the Great Ming.
The Jin merchants frantically sold grain, weapons, salt, and other supplies to external powers, betrayed Great Ming intelligence, and willingly served as running dogs.
The gentry of the southeast only wished to preserve their wealth and glory; as the grand mansion collapsed, instead of trying to prop up the failing skies, they seized the final moment to frantically devour the taxes that should have been paid to the court.
The army had long since rotted away, not to mention suffering from years of unpaid wages.
Even when the emperor painstakingly scraped together hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to reward the troops, more than half of it was goddamn gone before it even left the capital city!
The fraction that actually reached the soldiers' hands was less than one-tenth...
These people were all waiting for the Great Ming to perish, all waiting for a change of dynasty.
Chongzhen, as an emperor, was equally foolish beyond compare!
'Let the rebels carve up my corpse, but do not harm a single commoner'?
An edict written in blood like this sounds tragic and stirring when first heard, evoking deep sighs.
However... did he ever stop to think how these rebels he spoke of came to be?
Were these rebels not commoners to begin with?
Were they not driven to the point where they could no longer survive?
After Chongzhen's death, the men who established the Southern Ming puppet court were one more foolish than the last!
The Tartar Qing had already occupied Beijing, yet those people over there actually wanted to ally with the Tartar Qing to deal with Li Zicheng first...
Did they goddamn completely ignore the past lessons between the Song and the Jin?
These thoughts flashed rapidly through his mind. Even though he had known them long before, recalling them now still filled his chest with rage!
He wished he could lead a grand army into the late Ming, slaughter his way to a bright and clear universe, and overturn everything to start anew!
"Therefore, an emperor must keep a tight rein on his officials and prevent them from reaching out to fleece the common people as much as possible.
In this world, many, many things may seem to have no price, but in reality, their prices were marked in the dark long ago.
The debts owed must eventually be repaid.
For us emperors, what we use to repay those debts is the land and the altars of state, the lives of the emperor himself and all his royal descendants.
When the nation falls, countless corrupt officials may emerge unscathed, but we emperors are bound to be smashed to pieces.
There are many ways to keep the officials of the realm in check—reasoning with them, establishing rules.
Yet I believe that apart from these, the most straightforward and direct method remains killing!
Without killing, public anger cannot be pacified; without killing, people's hearts cannot be awed!
Many people are simply base; until the blade is swung at their necks, they do not know they are wrong!
They still harbor wishful thinking!
When reasoning fails, use swords and spears to reason with them!
When being a saintly and benevolent monarch cannot reform these people, one might as well transform into a tyrant and kill until rivers of blood flow!
Make them live in fear and tuck their tails between their legs as they go about their days!"
Zhu Biao's body trembled involuntarily!
He truly had not expected his imperial father to speak such words to him.
Every single word and sentence seemed laden with towering waves of blood!
The aura of slaughter and bloodshed was so intense that one scarcely dared to look directly at him.
If anyone else had spoken thus, Zhu Biao might have remained calm.
Yet now, the one speaking was his own imperial father, and Zhu Biao simply could not remain calm.
For he was certain that his imperial father was genuinely capable of doing such things!
Not only was his father capable of doing it, but he also wanted him to act the same way in the future.
Remaining frozen in place for a long while, Zhu Biao subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his voice somewhat dry as he asked:
"Imperial Father, would this... would doing this not... not throw the world into chaos?
Can these officials endure it?"
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed, though his smile carried a look of profound contempt.
"Biao'er, you overestimate them!
As long as you can ensure that the common masses are able to live and prevent them from being driven to rebellion,
you can kill as many of these officials as you like!
They are merely leeks; crop them once, and another batch will grow right back!
Not only will the realm not fall into chaos, but it will actually become even better!"