Chapter 86: The Four Seasons, the Long Journey

Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Jie quietly.

As expected, these people understand everything and know everything, but they just consciously sit back and watch the rise and fall of things.

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

Yesterday he presented five major problems in the world, and he has a clear understanding of the world situation.

Now, at this critical moment of life and death, he spoke eloquently and to the point, and his insight and talent were so great that he almost couldn't help but applaud.

Was Xu Jie wrong? Actually, he was not wrong.

The basic operation of the Ming Dynasty was the same as that of the central government.

The emperor is the center who controls the general direction, while the daily government affairs are left to civil and military officials.

In the Ming Dynasty, the central government was in charge of the overall management, while the basic operations of the local areas were jointly completed by government officials and gentry.

The emperor cannot replace the six ministries of the cabinet and take charge of all state affairs on his own.

It is naturally impossible for the central government to micro-control local affairs.

This is the limit of human power, it is not designed by anyone.

But in this case, the power and responsibility are consistent. The court cannot assume the responsibility of governing the counties and townships, so the responsibility and power will naturally be quickly filled by officials, households and gentry.

This is the fundamental contradiction of the Ming Dynasty today.

The basic operation of society was controlled by the gentry. Village security, children's enlightenment, farming and harvesting, supporting the orphans and widows, and even the most basic stability were all the contributions of the gentry.

It can be said that the basic governance of the Ming Dynasty was based on this tenancy system.

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

These official households, due to the imperial court's regulations, have the privilege of being exempted from taxes and miscellaneous duties. Although they still need to pay regular taxes, the amount they pay is a drop in the bucket.

Moreover, because of their official background, local officials and petty clerks are either connected with him or are simply his students and former officials.

It is naturally easy to talk to our own people.

If you have any questions, just say hello.

This adds another layer of invisible privilege to the formal privileges, which is the concealment of land and population.

The gentry and officials lived a peaceful life, so the extra burdens naturally fell back on the common people.

When common people went bankrupt, they had no choice but to pay tribute to the government in order to seek respite.

In this way, the number of official households increased like a snowball. They refused to perform labor service or pay taxes, and even concealed the number of people on their land.

The means of production did not disappear, but were simply taken over by the officials and landlords.

If the central government cannot collect taxes, it will increase the tax again, and the entire burden will fall on the common people who have not contributed, and they will have no choice but to abandon their land and flee, becoming refugees.

The gentry grew increasingly powerful, while the common people and the central government at both ends gradually shrank.

Therefore, at the end of a dynasty, there are often refugees everywhere, the central government is powerless, and local forces are everywhere. This is called systemic collapse.

Whose problem is it?
Gentry official households? But from the perspective of official households, Xu Jie has made it very clear that if the central government cannot manage things, someone else must manage them.

It is inevitable that power will expand as responsibilities are borne.

Can we blame the imperial court for that? But is it because the emperor himself didn’t want the imperial power to go to the countryside?
Geography, transportation, and administrative costs are all objective problems and are never subject to the emperor's will.

The people? The people are the most innocent. Anyone who shirks the responsibility of blaming the people is heartless.

From everyone's perspective, there are reasons to be said for the world to fall.

Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Jie and praised him sincerely: "Xu Qing, you are indeed a man of great talent. You are a beautiful woman, but why do you become a thief?"

Xu Jie stood up quickly and said anxiously: "Your Majesty, I am not a bandit!"

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "I read "Miscellaneous Records of the Court and Country Since Jianyan" in my spare time, and then I learned that the two Song dynasties were just a small country, but during the Xifeng period, the annual income was more than 60 million. Even at the beginning of Yuanyou, excluding the harsh times, the annual income was still more than 48 million."

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

"The central government is short of money, and the people are suffering. Haven't you all eaten up all the money?"

"You are eating the country's profits, so can't you be called traitors?"

Zhu Yijun waved his hand to Li Jin and gave Xu Jie a seat.

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

Zhu Yijun picked up the "Five Major Malpractices in the World" on the table, looked at Xu Jie and said, "What you just said is one of the malpractices in the memorial. I have read it and I agree with it."

"You said that the gentry are the foundation of local rule, and I agree."

"I accept that the imposition of miscellaneous taxes is a necessary cost for the government to govern the local area."

"The people only offer you tributes for tax exemptions, and most of them do it voluntarily, so I can still recognize it."

"but……"

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

Xu Jie was silent.

Of course, what he said before was not meant to be an excuse.

Instead, he analyzed the current problems to the emperor and tried to find out the root causes.

The emperor wanted to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, but he frankly told the emperor that this was an unavoidable problem under the customs of the entire Ming Dynasty.

The problem is that it is not just one or two people who are doing this.

The entire Ming Dynasty was doing the same thing as Xu Jie, annexation and tax evasion.

The root cause is that the central government has no ability to govern the local areas.

As long as the central government cannot solve the problem fundamentally, local gentry will continue to act in the same way. This cannot be solved by killing a chicken to scare the monkey.

In that case, why not give the chicken a chance to survive?

But the emperor kept dwelling on the reasons for the empire's decline and just asked who was responsible for it.

He was just about to say that Xu Jie would be held responsible for the country's demise.

It really leaves one speechless.

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

In Xu Jie's mind, he recalled what he had heard yesterday about the emperor's temper.

As long as the words are meaningless, dull, stupid, and without self in the eyes of this holy monarch, he will not even take a second look at you.

On the contrary, for example, although Gao Gong committed such a heinous act as blackmailing the emperor, the emperor still praised him privately for his lofty ideals and strong will.

Even Li Zaiting, who is now recognized by court officials as the reincarnation of Yan Song, is not simply flattering, but rather flatters in his own way and reason.

It was for this reason that Xu Jie dared to speak righteously and from the perspective of a gentry.

This is his way of being an official, to please the people and speak with substance.

Now facing the emperor's questioning, Xu Jie had no choice but to plead guilty, for the same reason that the emperor admitted his guilt. Facts were always irrefutable, and if he used sophistry, his words would become meaningless.

However, even if you plead guilty, you must not lose your integrity.

Xu Jie immediately thought of a strategy and met the emperor's gaze: "Your Majesty, all dynasties have indeed perished due to the countless annexations of Xu Jie, but..."

He looked high-spirited: "The rotation of the four seasons, the ripening of melons, the storms and thunders, are all destined by heaven!"

"Annexation is just a part of the destiny of our country. I do not consider it a crime, and I refuse to accept it!"

Zhu Yijun looked at Xu Jie in surprise.

How could he not know that Xu Jie had such character? It's really strange!

But it must be said that this behavior made him look at her with a higher regard.

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

After waiting until there was no one around, he asked, "Go on."

Xu Jie argued confidently: "Your Majesty, annexation cannot be suppressed!"

"China has a history of 3,000 years. Big countries have swallowed up small countries, big merchants have eaten up small merchants, and big clans have eaten up small people. This has been going on since ancient times and there has never been a way to stop it."

"Money flows to many places, just as trickles of water always flow into rivers."

"The central government is shrinking day by day, the common people are exhausted, and the officials, gentry, wealthy businessmen, and landlords are expanding day by day. Even if there is a decline after prosperity or a blessing from heaven, there are only a few of them. It will not change until the old and the new are replaced by another cycle." "This is part of destiny. Your Majesty can't bleed both ends by holding the middle!"

Xu Jie looked determined.

This is to please the emperor and also express what is in one's heart.

Annexation cannot be stopped by killing people.

Power and wealth will always gradually converge. Although it is hard to explain, this is the truth he has observed throughout his life.

The so-called unity of knowledge and action means that once you have realized it, you will naturally join in. This is the enlightenment of mind learning.

Zhu Yijun finally couldn't help but applaud.

"What a great student of the School of Mind!"

"What a good conscience that combines knowledge and action!"

"I was wondering how a person like Xu Shaohu could do such things with such a clear conscience. It turns out that he has such a conscience!"

This is not sarcasm, this is what I mean.

Although these words seem confusing, they also capture the essence of class stratification.

As Xu Jie said, in a well-governed society, resources tend to be concentrated, the only difference is the form of expression.

Land annexation, merchant monopoly, and three-generation watchover are all based on the same principle.

Xu Jie understood it and chose to join without hesitation, so he deserves to be praised as a master of the School of Mind.

Seeing the emperor's reaction, Xu Jie hesitated whether he had gone too far.

What if the emperor fails to refute and becomes angry and executes him? What should we do then?
While Xu Jie was hesitating, Zhu Yijun finally spoke again: "So, Mr. Xu, you think that this is the destiny, so in every dynasty, when the four seasons are about to change, there is no need to struggle?"

The former hesitated for a moment, but still explained: "Your Majesty, it is not so. The response of the Central Government is also part of destiny."

Why is it that every dynasty, when it is about to end, new parties begin to emerge?
Just because things reach their peak, they will inevitably decline, and there will inevitably be struggles, which is also part of destiny.

But again, this cannot change the fate of the four seasons.

Therefore, when he was in the court, he worked hard and was not complaining. He took care of the defense against invaders, supervised the education, assisted Hai Rui, and supported Prince Yu.

But when they returned to their identity as gentry, they annexed land, controlled the village, and exploited the people.

This is Xu Jie's philosophy of mind: to be in a position and do one's job well - he asks himself to integrate knowledge and action.

Zhu Yijun nodded: "Mr. Xu's words have cleared up my doubts. I also have something to say."

The former sat upright, having already made up his mind. No matter what the emperor said, he would simply bow down in obedience - he had shown enough, it was time to beg for mercy.

Zhu Yijun stood up and gestured habitually: "I understand what Mr. Xu means."

"I have been studying history and observing politics for quite some time."

"From the Shang and Zhou Dynasties to the Song and Yuan Dynasties, from eunuchs to ministers, from local to central governments, I have witnessed countless rise and fall."

“As the saying goes, ‘Its rise is sudden, its fall is sudden.’ An individual, a family, a clique, a place, and even a dynasty are all subject to the cycle of the four seasons.”

"In history, there are stories of 'political incompetence leads to success', 'political incompetence leads to death', and 'seeking glory leads to disgrace'. In short, everything is in the cycle of the four seasons that Xu Qing talked about."

"Xu Qing called it destiny, and he also believed that the annexation of this destiny was also unstoppable and should be carried out in accordance with the trend."

"Thus, they allowed themselves to fall into depravity and added fuel to the fire."

At this point, Zhu Yijun paused and said, "But, in addition to Mr. Xu's reasoning, I also have my own reasons."

His expression gradually became deep, and his tone became inexplicable: "First, whether the annexation is destined, and whether it can be stopped, is still a question."

"In order to suppress annexation in the pre-Qin period, the nobles' well-field system was transformed into small farmers' own farming."

"In order to suppress annexation, the Han Dynasty moved the powerful to Guanzhong."

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

"Song Zefang Tianzhe Jita Tax Law."

"As the seasons rotate, we can always move forward year by year. Xu Qing, every dynasty has been trying to curb annexation, and each generation has been more sophisticated. How can you be sure that it will not be possible in the future?"

"Even if it is truly an unstoppable destiny, how can I be willing to give it a try?!"

"Second, you have seen the four seasons change, and you have fallen into depravity and gone with the flow. I don't like that!"

"The three emperors of ancient times wore ragged animal skins, but now ordinary wealthy families can wear silk and brocade clothes."

"The nobles of the pre-Qin Dynasty used bamboo slips to write, and now ordinary scholars can also write on hemp paper."

"Smallpox, which was a disease that the Tang and Song dynasties were helpless against, was saved by countless people after the introduction of vaccination in Ningguo Mansion."

"Xu Qing, the seasons change, but all things do not stop evolving."

“The number of days for the four seasons to rotate is not greater than the great way for the evolution of all things.”

"Xu Qing, I tell you clearly, even if my dynasty is doomed to fall, I will not sit there and wait for death like you!"

"As for the matter of annexation, if we do a little bit, there will be a little bit of effect, and the people will be able to breathe a sigh of relief. How can I stop?"

"Even if it is the day before the fall of the country, I will not stop doing anything that needs to be done!"

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

Xu Jie moved his lips and then closed them again.

He almost couldn't help but argue with the emperor, but then he thought of his own situation and held back.

His mood at this moment was very complicated.

He originally wanted to cater to the emperor's temperament and show him his own reason and character, but in fact he had no intention of hearing any insightful opinions from the emperor.

Unexpectedly, the emperor really surprised him.

Although the truth he just said was a bit pretentious, it was more or less from the heart.

The scholarly families that have been passed down from generation to generation, the increasingly wealthy landlords, and the merchants in all walks of life are all squeezing out newcomers.

Not to mention anything else, the many minor officials that Hai Rui killed when he went to Nanzhili this time were almost all passed down from father to son.

This is human nature, not someone deliberately trying to bring disaster to the country.

Spontaneous means a natural trend - he doesn't think the Ming Dynasty can be an exception.

But I didn’t expect... Xu Jie took a look at the emperor and found him to be really a young and inexperienced person. He felt emotional.

He was full of vigor and indulged himself in unbridled passions. Just as his disciples and former officials had said, the present emperor was courteous but stubborn, gentle but conceited!
He disdains the destiny and intends to change the situation with his own ability.

He even talks nonsense about some great truth, as if he is not afraid of failure and will not change his original intention!

To Xu Jie, the emperor's words were somewhat wishful thinking, but he still couldn't help but begin to admire this young man's spirit.

The emperor in front of him was like all smart people when they were young - including him, Xu Jie.

Xu Jie looked bewildered. When he was young, he also believed that everything was like the rising sun, and as long as he had the effort, it would always be like this.

However, when he grew older and experienced too much helplessness, he finally understood what it meant to be destined.

Thinking of this, he suddenly felt angry.

The emperor had his own determination, but which smart person is not like this? Who hasn’t gone through this stage! ?
Just because he is a young man, he has the right to point fingers at him about his unity of knowledge and action! ?

Wasn't it the same when King Sejong was young? He was focused and attentive, like the rising sun. But what happened next?

Why did the emperor think he could be consistent and unbiased?

After experiencing and seeing so much helplessness, does he still have the nerve 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 can't act rashly.

But since the emperor said so, he wanted to see what the emperor would do in the end.

Will he reverse his fate or become like everyone else?
Who is right and who is wrong is not determined simply by who says more.

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

It was a long time before any movement was seen.

Xu Jie collected his thoughts, bowed respectfully, and apologized, saying, "Your Majesty is right. I am guilty!"

"I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and forgive the crime I committed when I was confused before."

"In my remaining years, I will put my knowledge and actions into practice, and do my best to achieve your great plan."

(End of this chapter)