Chapter 101 Scholars, Farmers, Merchants and Artisans
In front of Old Zhu, Zhu Chong did not hide anything and directly told the situation of the craftsmen in the Baochao Supervisor's office.
Because he knew that Zhu hated people who only said half of what they said in front of him and kept the other half. Even if he didn't like what he heard, he hoped that everyone would make their words clear when they submitted their reports.
Zhu Chong's reasons were very sufficient. He believed that the current status of craftsmen had been deliberately degraded, and the court's treatment of craftsmen was unreasonable.
If this continues, when the old craftsmen pass away, the Ming Dynasty craftsmen will fall into the dilemma of a generational gap.
Therefore, if the Ming Dynasty is to be strong and Baochao can reach the level that Zhu Chong had told him before, the status and treatment of Ming Dynasty craftsmen must be resolved first.
"Are you teaching us how to do things? You're just daydreaming!" Old Zhu's face suddenly turned gloomy. "Or do those craftsmen want to rebel, or do you want to rebel?"
Zhu Chong was slightly stunned. Zhu Biao beside him was very anxious when he heard this. "Father, that's not what my second brother meant..."
"Shut up and let him speak!" Old Zhu was not polite to the prince at all, staring at Zhu Chong with sharp eyes.
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's rage, Zhu Chong was also very puzzled. He didn't understand why Zhu Yuanzhang was still so stubborn after he had already made his statement. So he decided to choose tough measures. "Then I dare to ask Your Majesty, why can't the status and treatment of craftsmen be improved?"
"This is how it's been done in every dynasty!" Old Zhu's reasoning was quite rogue. "We can't set this precedent!"
Hearing what Old Zhu said, Zhu Chong was stunned. He didn't expect that Old Zhu was such a person at heart.
He always knew that when Zhu Yuanzhang was emperor, he was always imitating others.
Zhu Yuanzhang had great admiration for the prosperous Tang Dynasty, so the official system and uniforms of the Ming Dynasty were basically copied from the Tang Dynasty.
For example, the Secretariat and the Prime Minister system. However, Zhu Chong knew that Zhu's imitations were just on a whim. If they did not suit his wishes, he could abolish them with just a word.
So the Ming Dynasty claimed to have learned many things from the predecessors, but what it learned was a hodgepodge, and this was the reason for the country's eventual demise.
Thinking of this, Zhu Chong decided not to indulge Old Zhu, otherwise he would be asking for trouble!
"Your Majesty, I dare to say that the actions of the ancient sages are not necessarily entirely correct. Take the Tang Dynasty for example. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, the Tang Dynasty was feared and powerful, but the final outcome was clear to you, Your Majesty!"
When Zhu Chong heard him use the Tang Dynasty, which he highly admired, as an example, Zhu's face suddenly turned grim.
The old emperor had indeed been imitating others, but he had never been able to do it right. Naturally, when he heard Zhu Chong say this, he thought Zhu Chong was mocking him and that his imitation was completely weird!
Zhu Chong also knew that he was in trouble, but he had no choice. If he wanted to move Old Zhu, he naturally had to uncover some scars, otherwise how could he move Old Zhu.
"In the late Tang Dynasty, the Jiedushi became warlords, pretending to obey the imperial court but secretly disobeying it. Eventually, they became too powerful to be controlled, leading to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. This shows that a good system needs to adapt to the times and cannot be static. Otherwise, the country will be destroyed!"
"But we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. For example, during the Song Dynasty, the emphasis on culture was overshadowed by military power, which led to the decline of military preparations. Eventually, the Jin and Mongol cavalry were defeated, and the Northern and Southern Song dynasties were successively destroyed, with hundreds of millions of people killed by the swords of barbarians."
"If Your Majesty had not risen up in the troubled times, fought wars north and south, and driven out the Tartars, we Han people would still be enslaved by the barbarians and oppressed forever."
Zhu Chong's words initially frightened the Crown Prince Zhu Biao, but after hearing the latter part, Zhu Biao felt greatly relieved.
It seems that the second son has grown up and knows how to flatter Old Zhu in a roundabout way. Even if today's matter fails in the end, based on Zhu Chong's flattery just now, it will surely not be a big deal.
Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression turned from gloomy to bright. Zhu Chong's flattery was really just right. The thing Zhu Yuanzhang was most proud of in his life was to drive out the Tartars and let the Han people regain control of the country.
But Old Zhu still couldn't figure out what this had to do with the status of a craftsman, so he became curious and wanted to continue listening to what Zhu Chong said next.
"Your Majesty!" Zhu Chong saw that Old Zhu's expression had eased, and he quickly struck while the iron was hot. "After you founded the country, you determined that the people of the world were divided into four categories: scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans. You did not divide the world into these four classes based on this."
"You are a wise ruler. How could you possibly divide the people of the world into different classes like the Yuan Dynasty did? Your goal is to allow everyone to fulfill their duties and serve the Ming Dynasty, so that the Ming Dynasty can last for thousands of years..."
"Alright, alright!" Zhu Chong's flattery made Old Zhu blush a little. He couldn't help but interrupt, "Just say what you want to say. What the hell does this have to do with craftsmen?"
"Of course it is related!" Zhu Chong said, "Your Majesty's wisdom is known to everyone."
"You divided the people of the world into scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans. Your purpose is to imply that the Ming Dynasty is based on scholars, agriculture is the foundation of the country, the skilled hands of artisans are the foundation of the country, and merchants are the blood of the country..."
"What? When did we say that?" Zhu Yuanzhang became increasingly confused. Was this his original intention? He had just said that, so when did it become something Zhu Chong himself said?
Although it sounded pleasant, Old Zhu himself didn't understand how he could allow Zhu Chong to continue talking like this?
"Your Majesty has said so, and I have always kept it in mind." Zhu Chong said firmly, without the slightest hesitation, "You said so to all the civil and military officials."
"Our dynasty's scholars have the path to the imperial examinations, farmers have the benefits of farming and planting mulberry trees, craftsmen have the merit of building and making tools, and merchants have the path to trade their products. The simultaneous development of these four classes is the foundation of our great Ming Dynasty..."
"Did we say that?" Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded. He didn't remember saying that, but Zhu Chong said that those were his words and he had kept them in mind till now, which made him feel a little at a loss.
"That's why I have always kept it in mind and used this truth as a guide in my actions." Zhu Chong said without blushing or beating his heart.
"For this reason, I have always followed your Majesty's words as a guideline for my actions. I also believe that if the Ming Dynasty wants to prosper and its prosperity lasts for a long time, scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans are all indispensable!"
"Without men, there is no leader. Without a wise ruler like Your Majesty, the world would be like a pile of loose sand, with no direction to follow!"
"Without agriculture, the country will be unstable. If people have no food to eat and no clothes to wear, the country will no longer be a country!"
"Without craftsmanship, a country cannot be strong. The weapons in the hands of soldiers, the farm tools used by farmers, the carriages and utensils used by merchants, and even the utensils we use in our daily lives, which one of them cannot be made without the ingenuity of the craftsman?"
"Without merchants, the country cannot prosper. Without merchants to circulate goods and provide the Ming Dynasty with a large amount of taxes, the imperial court would be like water without a source. This is why I believe that Your Majesty is truly insightful. I have only acted so recklessly today. I hope Your Majesty will understand!"
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