Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 433: The Foundation of Eternity
The weight is still increasing.

After Lu Xiangsheng performed the formal ceremony of becoming a disciple, the person who was summoned to the Yangxin Palace was Crown Prince Zhu Youjian, who had just attended a lecture.

"This is my father's new disciple. He is from Yixing County, Changzhou Prefecture. His name is Lu Xiangsheng, with the courtesy name Jiandou. He was born in the 28th year of the Wanli reign. You should get to know him first and get closer to him in the future."

"Yes." Zhu Youjian looked at this peer who was still a little overwhelmed, and bowed curiously but gently, "Father's disciple is like my brother. Brother Lu, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Your Highness, how can this be..."

Lu Xiangsheng behaved well and was able to attend the ceremony of seeing the prince.

His heart was beating wildly, and now there was one more person looking at him.

"In the future, there will always be a day when you will have one ruler and one subject. Besides, if nothing goes wrong, you will also be my son-in-law."

Zhu Changluo's words shocked Zhu Youjian again, and he looked at Lu Xiangsheng with an extra layer of scrutiny.

I have never heard of my father accepting any special disciples, but now... he is planning to let Runling marry him? What virtue and ability does this kid have?
When Tian Le saw that the emperor had also called the prince, his expression became solemn.

"You have to be willing to learn it so that you can calm down and study hard." Zhu Changluo looked at Lu Xiangsheng and pointed, "Sit down. This involves the future state affairs, and the prince has to listen to it, so as not to have any grudges in the future."

After Lu Xiangsheng thanked him tremblingly, he sat next to Tian Le.

When Zhu Youjian heard Zhu Changluo say this, he looked at his father in confusion.

His father looked at him and said solemnly, "You are no longer childish now. You are almost grown up and have more experience. Dad and Old Master Tian are loyal to each other. It will be a good story in the future. Although you have been taught by dad, when you sit on the throne, who knows if there will be any major changes in the division of imperial power and ministerial power, and the new policy of Taichang?"

This was like a bolt from the blue. Not only did Lu Xiangsheng turn pale, but Zhu Youjian immediately stood up and knelt down facing his father: "Father, you are a sage emperor born with divine power. All you think about is the country and the people, and the Ming Dynasty will last for thousands of years. How dare I, your son, ..."

"To be firm and unyielding, you need to have firm and flexible vision inside, and solid regulations and virtuous and loyal ministers outside. Otherwise, you will have no say when the time comes." Zhu Changluo patted the back of his chair with emotion, "Since I sit on this throne, if I slack off a little and indulge in lust occasionally, I will easily fall. I have appointed eight prime ministers and slightly reduced the imperial power; I have suppressed the eunuchs and trusted the civil and military officials. Whether you can think clearly like your father in the future is one thing, and whether there are ministers who do something to please the emperor is another."

Lu Xiangsheng only saw the prince kneeling in front of the emperor with his body trembling slightly, and he himself also felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him.

What exactly does your majesty want to do yourself?
"Don't be frightened." Zhu Changluo said, "Stand up and sit down. The old master and I are not only the monarch and subject, but Xizhi and I are also both teacher and friend. You are my son, Jiandou is my student, and today we are considered a family. Although we are talking about family matters, how can family matters be state affairs? I want to raise you to be a crown prince who is different from the crown princes of previous generations, so naturally I have to use a different method. This method, no matter how many words there are, is nothing more than four words: be honest and frank."

Although Lu Xiangsheng was young, he was extremely talented and had read countless history books.

Whenever the crown prince comes of age and has been in the position of heir to the throne for a long time, there is always suspicion between the father and son in the royal family; after the change of dynasties from the old to the new, there are countless changes in court officials and major changes in national affairs.

"The old master will leave the capital with me in a month or two. During this time, we should talk more about family matters like this. The old master should also be frank and tell me everything he knows."

"Your Majesty's broad mind shines through the ages, and I admire you deeply!" Tian Le felt heavy in his heart, "Your Majesty, are you really going to do what you said back then?"

"Of course I have to do it!" Zhu Changluo nodded confidently, "Everything has two sides, and now in the avenue of learning, there are also different paths to the same destination. The monarch and the ministers, the officials and the people, the civil and the military, all conform to the way of yin and yang. In the past, it was said that the imperial power was appointed by heaven, and I have also said that power comes from below. Whether it is the monarch or the prime minister, there must be another system that conforms to the avenue, so that no matter who is in power, everyone can perform their duties!"

Tianle stood up and bent down: "Your Majesty wants to do this important thing. Forgive me for being frank, but I am afraid that Kento cannot bear it. I thought that Your Majesty just wanted him to..."

"Have you forgotten, Xizhi, that I am not even forty yet?"

"only……"

"The important thing is that someone has done it!" Zhu Changluo said firmly, "Once it has been done, it will be recorded in the history books. Even if there are waves in the future, there will always be extraordinary talents who understand my painstaking efforts!"

Tian Le couldn't say anything more, he just sat down disappointedly: "I wish I was born thirty years later!"

Lu Xiangsheng felt that today was too exciting. He secretly glanced at the prince and saw that he also looked confused.

And it is obvious that Your Majesty and Old Master Tian had talked about such things before, and Old Master Tian felt that it was far from the time to do such a thing.

This matter obviously involves the sensitive issue of imperial power.

How brave must he be to discuss such a topic with the emperor? The emperor was willing to talk about it... Perhaps even the establishment of the Eight Prime Ministers was just a small part of the matter.

"It's not necessarily that the time has not come yet." Zhu Changluo laughed, "The foundation has been laid, and the changes in the Ming Dynasty and the world will only get faster and faster in the future. If we don't prepare in advance, when the trend becomes established, there will really be a big chaos."

Seeing the two juniors were confused, Zhu Changluo paused, put away his smile, looked at them separately, and then said: "Let's open our minds today and talk about the past, and then ask you two to imagine the future. If the system remains unchanged as it is now, what will happen in a few dozen or a hundred years?"

Lu Xiangsheng couldn't help but open his mouth slightly: Dozens or hundreds of years... Can we foresee the situation at that time?
Indeed, if the current emperor had not appeared in the Ming Dynasty, the stories of decades or hundreds of years later would probably only need to be recorded in history books.

There is no need to worry too much about the details of the process, but in the end it is nothing more than that there are still monarchs and ministers, agriculture and sericulture are still valued, and industry and commerce are still despised.

It's just the rise and fall of many surnames.

But today the Ming Dynasty is completely different from what it was twenty years ago.

As a "disciple", Lu Xiangsheng attended class for the first time.

The emperor is worthy of being called the "philosopher king" today, and his personal teaching is also unique.

After the screen was brought in, Zhu Changluo took out several scrolls from the locked box in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and hung them up.

"I have thought about this countless times over the years." He started to do it himself. Zhu Youjian hurried over to help, but heard his father say, "I was going to teach you, but now you can listen to it with Jiandou."

Lu Xiangsheng saw Tian Le winking at him, so he nodded, stood up nervously, and walked over to help.

"Let's talk about it page by page. You two can just flip through the pages. Xizhi, I'll be the main speaker, and you can provide your own experiences and examples."

"I understand."

Zhu Changluo walked over and sat next to Tian Le. The two younger ones stood on either side, looking at the contents on the screen in horror.

"Well, the most fundamental question is why we need an emperor."

……

If the theory of "investigating things to extend knowledge" was just Zhu Changluo's elaboration with the help of theories of great men and sages of later generations, then this series of courses is the culmination of his experience as an emperor over more than ten years.

The most important thing is to adapt to the current era.

The technological level of this era, the ideological concepts of people of this era, and the various systems that already existed in this era and have been modified by him.

But the topic of why there are emperors is still an "ancient" question.

The essence of imperial power, stripped of all its packaging, is something that our ancestors have actually recognized.

It’s just that Zhu Changluo has a different perspective of interpretation, and his cognitive logic is more objective and colder.

"...Now you all understand. Although they are all called emperors, the emperors of the Taichang Dynasty are different from the previous emperors of the Ming Dynasty, and the emperors of the Ming Dynasty are different from the emperors of previous dynasties; although they are all called Son of Heaven, the Son of Heaven after the Qin and Han Dynasties is also different from the Son of Heaven of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties."

Zhu Changluo looked at Tian Le, and naturally he had to provide his perspective.

From the perspective of the evolution of the official system, although both are imperial systems, the boundaries of power are of course different. Being an official in the Qin and Han dynasties is different from being an official in the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties in terms of origin, power, and many other aspects.

This is a comparative research approach, but to delve deeper into the causes, we naturally have to look at a more fundamental level.

In the end it all comes down to people and their interests.

"During the reign of Emperor Taichang, I have never been shy about talking about profit," Zhu Changluo said sternly. "Morality and law are both important, but those are the methods that our ancestors have comprehended and found to avoid disasters. In the final analysis, profit also has many aspects. The most fundamental one is survival, followed by safety and stability, and then other aspects. However, the survival and stability of an individual citizen is very different from the survival and stability of a family, clan, or country."

After talking through all of this and describing it in detail, Zhu Changluo concluded: "To have an emperor is to consider all the inevitable choices that will follow. Starting from the benefits, people in different positions finally agree on this method. No matter what the process is, the one who sits firmly on the throne in the end is the one who is responsible for distributing the benefits to everyone. All the others are nothing more than adding bricks and tiles and beautifying and decorating. As long as the distribution is not bad at the beginning, and as long as it is not bad, the country can still last a long time."

He looked at his son and said, "But is this easy to do? People are not worried about the lack of wealth but the inequality of wealth. Selfish desires are always more piercing than justice. There has never been a dynasty that lasts for thousands of years. Firstly, there is no guarantee that every emperor can do this well. Secondly, as long as there is no continuous expansion, it will become more and more difficult for the emperors to do it later."

Tian Le sighed, "I am still in a trance now. I really can't imagine that the Ming Dynasty can be renewed in the Taichang Dynasty. Your Majesty's achievements are so great and difficult that it is like saving the world from collapse."

"It was just luck." Zhu Changluo looked at Zhu Youjian, "This is just like the law engraved in front of the holy temple, no one can escape it! I indulged in pleasure, and my descendants will always suffer, and the same goes for you!"

Zhu Youjian could only bow his head in awe and said, "I will remember this!"

"It's useless to just remember it." Zhu Changluo shook his head. "Eight prime ministers and co-governance by the monarch and his subjects also have advantages and disadvantages. Increasing military spending and expanding territory will eventually result in the distribution of new profits. After the reform of the vassal system, coupled with the remoteness of the frontier army, how can we avoid the chaos of separatism?"

Zhu Youjian was sweating profusely and could not help asking, "Then, if we want to suppress Nanyang and conquer Dongyang now, isn't it just drinking poison to quench thirst?"

"This is exactly the situation I want you to imagine." Zhu Changluo looked at Tian Le, "Xizhi, tell me, if we let it go, what will the situation be like after dozens or hundreds of years, when the land is solid and the border is empty?"

Tian Le coughed and cleared his throat, took a sip of tea, and then stood up: "Then I will explain one by one, starting with the Privy Council that I am most familiar with..."

In the end, it's very simple.

No matter how ingenious the design is, the biggest hidden worries of the Privy Council, which has now become an independent system, are two points: whether it will obey the emperor and whether it will join forces with civil officials and foreign princes. The possibility of separatism and overthrowing the country exists.

It is very stable now. Of course, because it was just established not long ago, most of the old meritorious officials have been "excluded" to the side that pays more attention to commercial interests, and the new meritorious officials still have plenty of opportunities to make achievements.

The most important thing is that the emperor is still young and strong. Tian Le then talked about the Zongminghao and Changminghao, which monopolized the official foreign trade channels of the Ming Dynasty, and many private merchants who have obtained licenses and franchises. The current constraints on them are mainly due to the fact that they are still in the growth stage and the emperor is still in power. Behind them, the royal family, noble relatives, local clans, and officials will also be a huge force in the future.

This pair of monarchs and ministers who have known each other for many years have a reasonable deduction for the future, because both of them are well versed in human nature and have rich political experience.

"In short, there is no need to be afraid of the idea of ​​dividing people into different classes. The royal family, the royal clan, and the noble relatives are all super classes. Officials are divided into nine grades: scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans. These interest circles and groups, big and small, and even the weakest ordinary people, will have the ability to create huge waves in the future as long as they unite and cooperate with each other."

"Then...what should I do?" Zhu Youjian, who was only in his teens, shuddered at the thought that he or his son would have to face such a situation in the future.

At this moment, he had a father who had made such great achievements, and the young man still wanted to follow his father's example and become a good emperor in the future.

But today, his father and his most trusted old minister showed him how heavy the crown was.

At this time, Tian Le bowed to Zhu Changluo and said, "Your Majesty, I dare to advise you again: setting up that useless House of Sages is not a good idea! It is just an extra shackle, and those with wicked ambitions can use it to stir up trouble, while the wise ruler and the virtuous and upright ministers will be more restricted in what they want to do! In the long run, if Your Majesty can teach the prince to be a useful person and then devote all his efforts to training young capable ministers, in the future..."

"Then it can only be accomplished by people?" Zhu Changluo shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I have figured it out. For so many years, I have been thinking about this difficult problem in private. I know there is a way, but I have never figured out why that way can work. The Council of Sages is just a surface. As for this, I have only recently figured it out."

Tian Le asked in surprise and expectation: "What is inside?"

"It's still the same four words, be honest!" Zhu Changluo looked at the two younger generations, "It's just that we need to convince the people of the world that the court is being honest, and we need to be determined and practice it from the bottom of our hearts! Once this momentum is established, it will be like an invisible heavenly constraint! From now on, no matter if you are a monarch or a minister, a yang or a yin, you can only revolve around this!"

"I would like to hear the details!" Tian Le asked solemnly.

He had confidence in the emperor.

Lu Xiangsheng was actually very excited when he heard this.

What the emperor wants to do is obviously to achieve great things beyond his own dynasty and to truly solve the problems that have been problems for thousands of years.

Is there any event that is more in line with the military and national rules than this? If this is accomplished, no matter what reputation one has, how can one be inferior to the generals and ministers of ancient and modern times?
“The road ahead is long, but we must hold high our impartiality and shine brightly like a torch!”

Zhu Changluo walked back to the imperial desk, picked up the red brush, and wrote two words forcefully.

The three of them leaned over to take a look and asked in unison, "Party?"

"That's right! We all share the same aspirations to serve the people, the same thoughts to serve the public, and the same strength to strengthen the country. With this aspiration, we can be called the same party. All wise rulers and virtuous ministers are the same party!"

"I... don't understand?" Tian Le looked at him doubtfully, "Will this... work?"

"It is useful!" Zhu Changluo said with certainty, "The great truth is simple. The reason why it is useful is that it must be made public to the world, and then knowledge and action can be unified. Just like for so many years, people have said that we are destined by heaven and that the teachings of saints cannot be violated. It is certainly difficult for everyone in the world to know and believe, but it is not difficult for everyone to believe! The key point is here, the inside and outside work together, just like the balance of yin and yang. Listen to me explain in detail..."

He had indeed combined his experience over the years and had finally recently figured out a problem that he had not been able to figure out even in his previous life.

What kind of magic enabled the organization he was once very familiar with to constantly adapt to changes, always maintain its vitality and organizational ability, and solve so many organizational problems that are difficult to solve in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad?

It’s not about anything else, it’s just like the military problems, autocracy problems, and major changes in direction that have evolved to very extreme levels internally.

That doesn't make any sense.

This is definitely not just because it was born through the tempering of blood and fire or a century of decline. Such things have happened in history.

This is also not something that can be explained by historical limitations. There were many people in ancient times who were capable of profound thinking.

But after he came to the Ming Dynasty and personally faced the Confucian school at its most prosperous period, he finally realized something.

Why did he still recognize the Master's title of "Supreme Benevolence"?

Because ever since he called out benevolence, righteousness, and morality, and ever since this set of ideas was tied to imperial power, it has put a shackle on the rulers and ministers of all dynasties in the world.

Regardless of what happens in private or in reality, at least on a public level, no one can escape this lock and everyone has to use this set of rules.

Because this set of rules is like deciding the emperor and then establishing the court by the monarch and his ministers. It is a very easy-to-use and low-cost method for distributing overall interests.

Zhu Changluo was unable to implement the policy of requiring officials and gentry to pay taxes together because there was no new method yet.

The reason why the organization he is familiar with can always have such high prestige and stability is the same.

Because when she founded the company, she did not shy away from expressing her ideals.

That's not just an individual, it's an organization that's large enough.

It is not good for a person who claims to be a moral role model every day to openly act like a bad person.

Is it that an organization constantly makes public declarations just to shout slogans to appease ordinary people?

No! That is to constrain the organization!

Be as restrained as possible.

Of course, there are only slogans, and as Tian Le wondered: what’s the use?

So after Zhu Changluo finished explaining the rules represented by the House of Sages, Tian Le finally understood.

"... In this way, within this group, wise rulers and virtuous ministers who want to do good things will be able to do things in a just manner, while those with evil ambitions will be restricted..."

"That's right!" Zhu Changluo said with a smile, "One foot stands on the moral high ground, and the other foot stands on the circle of deliberation and decision-making rules. A good system must, of course, help those who want to do good things and prevent those who want to do bad things."

"…I'm afraid it's not convenient for the official document process." Tian Le frowned immediately, "Your Majesty is naturally aware that many problems in the past have been hidden between the storage of documents and the circulation of official documents."

"Don't be in a hurry." Zhu Changluo patted the shoulders of the two juniors. "They are still young, and I am also strong. Let's prepare, work and create momentum in this direction first. Besides, I also know that the entire monarchy and the court are just the surface, and the production technology and the welfare of the common people are the core. In the future, there will be ways and tools to make the government orders extremely smooth, so that the space for those with wolfish ambitions to abuse their power and form cliques to abuse power will become smaller and smaller, and the time window will become shorter and shorter!"

Lu Xiangsheng heard many new terms, but he understood them all.

He suddenly had an idea: "Your Majesty, is the Yellow River Iron Bridge one of the preparations?"

Zhu Changluo smiled and patted his shoulder again: "This young man is teachable!"

Zhu Youjian clenched his fists. Zhu Changluo noticed his body tense and gently stroked the back of his head. "You should see more and more clearly. Even Dad can't do whatever he wants. Many major matters require the monarch and his ministers to discuss thoroughly and take into account the reactions of all parties before making a decision. As the old master said, this system is beneficial to wise monarchs and wise ministers, that's enough. It's hard to say about your son, but have you already thought of becoming a mediocre monarch or even a tyrant monarch?"

"I understand!" Zhu Youjian looked up at him, "I still have a lot to learn!"

"Yes, there are many more!" Zhu Changluo smiled gently and encouragingly, "Remember: if the descendants of the Zhu family are unable to shoulder the aspirations of the world's great unity, the country will be in danger of overthrow. It doesn't matter whether the ministers still recognize the Zhu family as the leader of the party. Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run, and I am the same. It's not easy to be an emperor. Didn't I say this at the beginning?"

In just one afternoon, Lu Xiangsheng got to know an emperor who was completely different from what he had imagined.

As he said: Just be honest.

Lu Xiangsheng is slightly older than the prince and knows a little more.

He knew the importance of today's lesson, his future responsibilities, and what the emperor expected of him.

Where are the constraints of being a royal consort?

In the future, regardless of whether you are a civil or military official, a scholar, an agricultural or commercial worker, what is the most important identity?

First of all, do you uphold the aspiration of world peace, serve the people with one heart, serve the public with one mind, and work together to strengthen the country?

Yes, you are the emperor's ally and you can do a lot.

No, you should become a commoner and enjoy the company of the emperor as a “public servant”.

Lu Xiangsheng felt numb when he heard this concept before, but now he finds it very exciting.

The world will be united.

It was as if something was surging in his heart, causing him to look at the emperor involuntarily.

He is so high and mighty, yet he is so conscious of this?

It was long after dark that his servant waited at Tian's house until his drunken master returned.

"Stay here with me tonight." Tian Le was also drunk, but his face was full of relaxation and happiness.

"Old Prime Minister, my young master is..."

"Now that I have become your Majesty's personal disciple, how can I not drink this wine?"

"Your Majesty... a personal disciple?"

(End of this chapter)