Weak People, Strong Nation (II)

Lan Ren held his breath and pricked up his ears to listen.

"When well-fed, one thinks of lust. But a nation only has so many resources. If you get more, I will inevitably get less. If everyone in the country thinks this way, then true war will break out because the spoils are divided unevenly and interests are left unsatisfied.

"So, to prevent such chaos, we must 'abuse the people' and 'make the people poor.'

Increase their taxes and make their lives difficult, leaving them without the means to contend with the ruler.

"At the same time, in order to survive, these people will be run ragged, burying their heads in work. If they cannot even fill their stomachs, they naturally will not have time to think about this and that. That is what Poverty shortens ambition means.

"Of course, throughout this process, you must carefully control the degree of it, my son."

Lan Ren looked puzzled and asked, "Control the degree?"

Prince Huang Ren smiled. "Extremes will reverse. Once the oppression becomes too severe, people will lose all hope of living and rebel, throwing caution to the wind. History has already provided more than enough bloody lessons of this sort.

"There is a phrase called Boiling a frog in warm water. If you put a frog into boiling water, it will jump out. But if you put it in cold water and slowly heat it, it will fail to notice the danger and be boiled to death.

"To properly cook the frog called 'the people,' we cannot use boiling water. We must use warm water. We need to keep these people hovering around the line of basic subsistence, with no surplus grain at home and only barely able to maintain their lives.

"As long as they do not starve to death, most people will choose to make do. So long as they can eat their fill, ordinary people will not choose to risk their necks."

After hearing this, Lan Ren immediately said, "Father's words have cleared away the clouds and let me see the sun. I have been utterly enlightened."

Prince Huang Ren smiled faintly. "Do you think that is the end of it? We are far from done."

Eager to learn, Lan Ren said, "Please explain in detail."

Prince Huang Ren nodded slightly and continued, "What I said above is merely the initial stage. At most, it prevents most people from developing thoughts of rebellion, but it will not make them respect the ruler in their hearts.

"Some wicked people may even develop hatred of the rich, constantly plotting to harm nobles like us and seize wealth that never belonged to them in the first place.

"So, if we are to win their heartfelt awe, it becomes especially important to make these people feel insecure. Only fear can give rise to reverence.

"And to create such insecurity, starting wars is undoubtedly an excellent method.

"Once a war is lost, the fate of becoming slaves of a conquered nation will inevitably be miserable. At such a time, the ruler's role will stand out. They will 'volunteer' to form armies and resist foreign invasion.

"Throughout this process, the protected people will feel the ruler's 'warmth' and 'greatness.' Then they will devote themselves utterly to serving him, without a second thought, even to the point of blind loyalty.

"There are at least the following benefits to this process.

"First: it highlights the ruler's legitimacy and justification.

"Second: it gives us a perfectly legitimate excuse to take vast sums of money. After all, war costs a great deal, and who does that money come from? Naturally, from the people. They cannot raise any objections, either, or we can slap them with the label of refusing to contribute to the nation and lacking righteousness.

"This also conveniently lets us eliminate dissidents. The price we pay is no more than the lives of some lowly commoners. Why would we not do it?"

"Of course, this alone is not enough. We also need to establish a set of theological theory and spread it far and wide.

"For example, when the Daimyo was born, there were Colorful auspicious clouds in the sky, or he had Imperial physiognomy. Make up whatever you can; the more mystical, the better. It costs nothing to spout nonsense, and if a lie is repeated a thousand times, it becomes truth.

"Then these ordinary people will come to believe that we were born extraordinary. We became kings not merely because of our achievements in resisting foreign invasions, but because we are Chosen son of heaven sent down by the heavens, sovereigns meant to govern the earthly realm."

Prince Huang Ren explained every detail of how to rule the people to his son. Lan Ren deeply admired his father's political wisdom, but at the same time, a chill ran down his spine. Fortunately, he had been born into a noble family. If he had lived in an ordinary mule and horse family, he would likely never have had a chance to rise in his entire life. He might even be tricked by others and still feel grateful, singing the praises of those noble lords.

As for developing any thoughts of sympathizing with the people's hardships, that was nothing but a joke.

His father had made it very clear. There were only so many resources and positions in this world. Without these commoners working themselves to death, where would the nobles' wealth and glory come from? He was a beneficiary of the system. Only someone kicked in the head by a donkey would develop empathy.

These people were nothing more than livestock for the nobles to enjoy, exploit, and berate.

"Father's words have truly cleared away the clouds and let me see the sun. I have been utterly enlightened." Though still young, Lan Ren was already full of malice, yet there was one thing he did not understand. "With Father's political wisdom, why would you willingly remain beneath...?"

He did not finish the sentence, but the meaning was already obvious. Why not directly replace the Daimyo of the Land of Fire? In his eyes, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was nothing more than a pig who understood nothing and spent every day eating and drinking, possessing not even one ten-thousandth of his father's wisdom.

The corner of Prince Huang Ren's mouth twitched. He shook his head with a smile.

"Father, what are you laughing at?"

"I am laughing at your youth. You make some things far too simple."

"???"

"I already hold absolute power over the court. My power reaches the heavens. The Daimyo is merely a title, an empty name.

"I would gain no practical benefit from it. On the contrary, it would expose me completely. One must assess the situation clearly and keep one's mind clear. Lan Ren, let me tell you: if I handle this matter well, I gain no points. But if I handle it poorly, I lose points.

"Sometimes, there is nothing wrong with being second. As they say, when the sky falls, there is still a tall person to hold it up. And who that tall person is, I need not say."

After a pause, Prince Huang Ren smiled and asked his son, "Why do you think I should charge so far ahead?"

"So that is how it is. As expected of Father—your thoughts are meticulous, and you see through everything clearly."

Lan Ren looked at his father with admiration, though he was beginning to feel a little sleepy. "Father, you just said that when the sky falls, there will still be a tall person to hold it up. What exactly does the sky falling refer to? Is there really anything in this world that can threaten you?"

Prince Huang Ren sighed helplessly. "Did I not just tell you? For a nation to be strong, the foremost prerequisite is weak people. But among the people, there is one group that leaves your father unable to eat or sleep in peace."

"One group?"

Prince Huang Ren's expression turned grave as he mentioned the name "ninja" once again.

Hearing his father mention ninja again, Lan Ren felt that his father was making too much of it. In his eyes, ninja were merely people who risked their lives for nobles like them. Was there really any need to be so wary of them? As though facing a student who simply refused to understand, Prince Huang Ren's tone grew sterner. "Lan Ren, throughout our conversation, I have emphasized countless times that for the nation represented by the nobles to be strong, the people must first be weakened. But the ninja are not weak at all. On the contrary, they are very strong.

"They are a relatively wealthy group. More importantly, they wield powerful strength. Some ninja do not regard the Daimyo or nobles with any respect whatsoever. Their only loyalty is to their villages. If one day those ninja finally get their heads around it and decide to rebel, they will not discuss it with you beforehand. By then, we nobles will have no power to resist at all. The wealth accumulated over many years will become the property of those commoners. Would you be willing to accept that?"

Huang Ren remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking. "So, we must constantly start wars and hire these ninja. On the surface, it is to defend our homes and nation, but in truth, it is to plant seeds of hatred in them and make them slaughter one another?"