Chapter 3: Seeing the Essence Through Phenomena
"A bunch of nonsense."
"Father, I will let someone capture this kid right now."
Zhu Biao's face was livid, he stood up and was about to leave the secret room.
"Not urgent!"
"I would like to hear how this mad man explains the shortcomings of our Ming Dynasty's national policy."
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand to stop Zhu Biao and made a 'shh' gesture, indicating that he should continue listening.
Next door, the conversation between Lin Che and Zhu Xi continued.
Zhu Xi thought hard, but still couldn't understand the meaning of Lin Che's words.
Embarrassed, he poured a glass of wine, held it in his hand, and bowed: "I'm not very good at learning, so I can't understand what you mean. Please make it clear."
In the Imperial Palace University Hall, Song Lian and other bachelors taught the princes current affairs, although they also dabbled in national policy.
But they are all praise for national policies.
The great Confucians explained that the Ming Dynasty's national policy made politics clear, benefited the people, and consolidated the dynasty.
It's not as evil as Lin Che said.
Although, Zhu Xi deeply admired Lin Che's knowledge.
But Zhu Fang disagreed with Lin Che's rejection of the three major national policies of the Hongwu Dynasty.
Lin Che spat out the chicken bones in her mouth with a sound of "Teh", wiped the grease from her mouth, and glanced at Zhu Xi:
"Then let me analyze it for you step by step, otherwise you will think that I am just messing around with you."
"Let's talk about recuperation first."
"At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, there was a lot of waste waiting to be revitalized, and there was an urgent need for recuperation and recuperation. Although the emperor has formulated a policy of recuperation and recuperation, how did he actually do it?"
Speaking of it.
Lin Che dipped her fingers into some wine and drew a map on the table.
Pointing at the map with chopsticks is quite a bit like pointing out the country: "The Ming Dynasty wiped out the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in the north, attacked Annan and Jiaozhi in the south, fought against the king of Liang in the southwest, and used troops against Zhang Shicheng's old troops and Japanese pirates on the coast of Fujian in the southeast..."
"The Ming Dynasty seems to have a well-organized government and harmonious people, but in fact, there are constant wars in the surrounding areas, internal and external troubles."
Glancing at Zhu Xi, who was attentive, Lin Che continued: "The war will definitely waste people and money."
"The war is about money and food."
"And where do these grains come from? It's not just from farmers' mouths."
"Compared with the previous dynasty, although the taxes in the Ming Dynasty were much lower, a large number of fields were in the hands of landlords and noble officials, and the people's lives were still very difficult."
"The emperor's so-called recuperation, for the common people, just allows them to take a breather."
Zhu Xi frowned slightly.
As a prince, most of the knowledge he learned in the university hall were collections of classics and history, and Confucian classics.
The princes had no access to this knowledge involving the bottom peasants.
The great Confucians in the university do not pay attention to the instillation of this knowledge.
However, he did know something about the surrounding wars that Lin Che mentioned.
In particular, the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty have been intruding in the north, threatening the country of the Ming Dynasty at all times.
If these hidden dangers are not eliminated, Ming Dynasty will never have peace.
This time he was angry with his father, and it was also related to the crusade against the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
Zhu Xi took a deep breath and organized his words: "The emperor used troops against the Northern Yuan Dynasty and the Liang King of Yunnan because these remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty harassed and threatened the safety of our Ming Dynasty border."
"If we don't send out troops to suppress the enemy, neither the country nor the people of Ming Dynasty will be able to live in peace."
After looking at Zhu Xi, who looked dissatisfied, Lin Che poured a glass of wine and wrote lightly:
"You only see the surface, but you don't understand the essence."
"The imperial court's use of troops against the Northern Yuan and Liang kings was of course to consolidate the country and the country and protect the security of the frontiers."
"It goes back to what I just said, the war is essentially about money and food."
"Where do the money and food for the troops come from? They are not farmers yet."
Lin Che paused for a moment, took a bite of food, and continued:
"Three Kingdoms Cao and Wei implemented military camps. Soldiers fought during wartime and during peacetime they farmed like ordinary people."
"This can not only ensure the combat effectiveness of the army, but also ensure the supply of food and grass for the army."
"The military garrison system has further reduced the burden on farmers and minimized the harm of war."
"Cao Wei was bordered by the Huns and Xianbei to the north, the Qiang and Di Tuyuhun to the west, and competed with Wu and Shu for the Central Plains to the south. The environment was extremely harsh."
"The reason why the Western Jin Dynasty finally established the unification is that Cao Wei truly supported the war with the army instead of the people."
Seeing Zhu Xiang's face that seemed to understand, Lin Che paused for a moment and continued: "Although our government has enacted a system of recuperation and recuperation, it has not allowed the people to feel the benefits of the system."
"People still need to hand over most of the food they grow, and the rest is just enough to survive."
"Once there is a year of famine, how will the result be different from that in the late Yuan Dynasty?"
Here, Zhu Xi didn't react, but Zhu Yuanzhang next door was shocked.
Unexpectedly, Lin Che, a crazy person, would actually expose the strategy he had planned in his heart.
Not bad.
The Ming Dynasty was only established for a few years, and troops were used every year.
In particular, the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty threatened the country and the country at all times, and the Ming Dynasty spent more than half of its annual taxes on war.
The foundation of Ming Dynasty's taxation lies in agriculture and farmers.
As Kuang Sheng said, although the imperial court established a rest and recuperation system, the people did not receive much benefit during its implementation.
Zhu Yuanzhang also noticed this and looked through history to find a solution.
Finally decided to follow the example of Cao Wei and implement military garrison.
This matter is still under planning, and even Prince Zhu Biao doesn't know about it.
Unexpectedly, a mad man could see the shortcomings of the Ming Dynasty so clearly.
Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath to suppress the throbbing in his heart.
He stared at the wall, waiting for Lin Che to continue her lecture.
……
Zhu Xiang went through Lin Che's words in his mind, and seemed to have some understanding.
Lin Che explained it very thoroughly.
Using troops every year will cost a lot of money and food, and where the money and food come from is not from the common people.
Fight every year and pay for food every year.
How can the common people live a good life, let alone recuperate and recuperate?
Zhu Xi stood up and poured a glass of wine for Lin Che and himself, and then said: "Sir, do you think that if the imperial court implements military settlements, it will solve the problem of farmers' burden and the common people can rest and recuperate?"
However, Lin Che shook her head: "No! You only saw the surface of the problem, but did not understand the essence."
Zhu Xi was confused for a moment.
You've been talking about military garrison for a long time, but that's not the essence of the problem? Scratching his head, Zhu Xi asked in confusion:
"Sir...then what is the essence of the so-called problem?"
Lao Zhu and his son next door were equally curious.
Lin Che looked at the confused Zhu Xi and said calmly:
"In addition to the use of troops every year, there is another bigger reason for the hardship of the people in the Hongwu Dynasty, which can also be said to be a fatal reason."
"In the fifth year of Hongwu, the imperial court issued a decree: The family of a wealthy family is on the same level as the common people, and those who serve in service are also the common people's affairs... From now on, the families of Baisi officials who have land and land will lose rent and taxes. Otherwise, they will be exempted from corvee service."
"The law stipulates that all officials in the imperial court can be exempted from corvee service and taxes. Not only officials, but also gentry also enjoy this privilege."
"Later, in addition to the students and staff who were studying in the school, two people were exempted from indoor service."
"In this way, current officials, gentry, and students can avoid taxes and be exempted from corvee."
“The obligation to serve as errands for the food supply falls entirely on the farmers.”
“Peasants not only paid their own taxes and corvee, but also shouldered the burden of the bureaucrats and gentry.”
Lin Che took a sip of wine and said in a faint tone: "Farmers are suffering!"
After a pause, he continued:
“The bureaucrats and gentry enjoy privileges, but the burden on farmers is getting heavier and heavier.
"They had to sell their land to these people at a low price and then rent the land from them for farming."
“As a result, land annexation has intensified.”
"A large number of fields fell into the hands of the bureaucratic gentry who did not pay taxes, and a large number of peasants were transformed from yeoman farmers into tenant farmers."
“The more land is concentrated, the less land farmers have in their hands, the heavier the taxes and levies, and the harder their lives become.”
"So, I say that the root cause of farmers' hardship is not war, nor can it be solved by the implementation of military settlements."
"It is because the imperial court granted privileges to bureaucrats and gentry, which led to serious land annexation and farmers losing their land."
"Water can carry a boat, and it can also overturn it."
"The people in the world are like water, and the Ming Dynasty is like a boat. Once the boat loses the support of water, it will surely capsize."
"The Ming Dynasty is in danger!"
(End of this chapter)