The problem of "When dynasties rise, the people suffer"

The lamps were half out, and the wine had brought a gentle haze.

On the imperial bed, Zhu Yunwen reached out and gently brushed the hair from Ma Enhui's cheek. Looking into her enchanting eyes, he smiled faintly and said, "These past days have been hard on you."

Presiding over the inner palace, Ma Enhui had no easy days.

Besides keeping the empress dowager company and caring for her son, she also had to investigate the affairs of the various directorates, bureaus, and offices. The new inner-palace policies in particular had brought many new problems, and she could not rest easy without personally looking into them.

"I heard you had the Laundry Bureau's supervisor given thirty strokes of the rod. What did she do to anger you?"

Zhu Yunwen knew Ma Enhui was gentle by nature and rarely lost her temper.

Ma Enhui rested her head on Zhu Yunwen's arm, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. With a touch of girlish petulance, she said, "Your Majesty proposed the new inner-palace policies, so naturally I must put them into practice. All the other directorates, bureaus, and offices carried them out diligently, without error. But the Laundry Bureau's supervisor insisted on defying them. She pocketed ninety percent of the additional funds allocated by the inner palace. Their daily dishes had no more than a hint of meat flavor-not a scrap of actual meat could be seen."

"And that was not all. Worse still, she dared to withhold the palace maids' leave. Unless a maid paid a leave fee of at least two taels of silver, she would not arrange any time off. Without that fee, even a maid worked to death would not be allowed a single day's rest. Tell me, Your Majesty, did such a supervisor deserve a beating?"

Zhu Yunwen's gaze chilled slightly, then softened again. "The Laundry Bureau is beside Desheng Gate, outside the palace walls. With only a palace wall between us, its supervisor already dared to deceive her superiors, bully her subordinates, and act without restraint. Across the vast lands of Great Ming, how many others are deceiving those above them and oppressing those below, committing every kind of outrage, while I remain in the dark, believing the realm well governed and all its people at peace?"

"Your Majesty's concern for the realm is a blessing to all beneath heaven. With your great talent and vision, I believe you will surely restore the flourishing age of the Han and Tang."

Ma Enhui praised him even as her heart ached for him.

Zhu Yunwen smiled helplessly, reached out, and gathered Ma Enhui into his arms, his eyes brimming with springtime warmth.

When the night had fallen still and Ma Enhui was peacefully asleep, Zhu Yunwen was still pondering how, in this era, he could build a genuinely effective system of oversight and truly understand the hardships of Great Ming's common people.

Officials would always conceal reports.

Even in later times, with telephones and the internet so advanced, people could keep a mining disaster that killed dozens from being reported. How much easier was it in Great Ming, where the spread of information was so terribly backward!

When trouble arose locally, an official who wanted to conceal it could succeed every time.

The mountains were high and the emperor far away. Where no one could reach to keep watch, a mere county magistrate could run wild and carve up the people like fish and meat.

And Great Ming's common people were honest farmers. As long as they had a mouthful to eat, they would not rebel. Even when bullied until they had barely enough clothing to cover themselves, their first thought was never to kill the dog of an official, but to find somewhere to beg for food.

Only by stepping deep into history could one truly feel the sorrow of "When dynasties rise, the people suffer; when dynasties fall, the people suffer."

In Zhang Yanghao's eyes, the common people had never enjoyed good days. That was why he had voiced that lament over rise and fall!

In the past, Zhu Yunwen would merely have admired the quality of Zhang Yanghao's poetry. But now he was the emperor of Great Ming, and he needed to solve, once and for all, the problem of "When dynasties rise, the people suffer"!

Across more than nine million square kilometers of territory and a population exceeding sixty million, problems abounded, most of them concentrated at the bottom. History taught that when a feudal dynasty collapsed, it was usually the bottom that gave way first.

Whether it was Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rising in revolt, Old Zhu going out to beg, Li Zicheng losing his job, or Old Chiang moving house, all of it stemmed from failures in governance at the grassroots.

Without good governance at the grassroots, one could not win the people's hearts.

Without the people's hearts, no state could endure.

That was an iron law of history.

Zhu Yunwen pondered on, unaware of when he fell asleep. Only when Ma Enhui nudged him did he slowly awaken.

"Your Majesty, it is time for morning court."

Ma Enhui called to him softly.

Zhu Yunwen sat up and looked at the eunuch kneeling before him, asking him to attend court. He waved the man away, then put on his court robes with Ma Enhui's help.

"Your Majesty, shall we cancel today's morning court?"

Seeing how weary Zhu Yunwen looked, Ma Enhui spoke with gentle reproach. The strict mourning period had only just ended, yet he already had no sense of restraint.

"No need. Back when I stayed up all night playing Warcraft..."

"Warcraft?"

"Er, I mean, there were plenty of times when I broke with hidebound conventions and studied diligently. This is nothing..."

Zhu Yunwen wiped away a cold sweat.

Damn it, I'm still not fully awake.

Morning court proceeded in good order. The Grand Secretariat had handled everything it could and passed the matters it could not decide to Zhu Yunwen. He put some questions before the assembled officials, drawing on their collective wisdom until they devised a plan and settled the business.

Once everything was dealt with, everyone could dust off their hands: the emperor returned to the palace, and the ministers went to their offices. It was that simple.

Zhu Yunwen had thought there would be no disturbances that day and was already planning to return for more sleep. Who could have expected an official to step forward and call loudly, "Your servant has a memorial to submit!"

Zhu Yunwen narrowed his eyes and looked over. A young man in his twenties was kneeling on the floor.

"Present it."

The attending eunuch glanced at Zhu Yunwen's expression and called out.

"I, Cheng Ji, supervising secretary of the military section, impeach Li Zengzhi, left chief commander of the Front Military Commission, on twelve charges!"

Cheng Ji raised the memorial above his head.

Every official in court turned toward Cheng Ji. Most of the civil officials took pleasure in the spectacle, while the military officials and hereditary nobles looked far less pleased.

Though Li Zengzhi had committed plenty of misdeeds, he was still one of the military officials. As the saying went, glory for one meant glory for all, and injury to one meant injury to all. A slap to Li Zengzhi's face would leave the entire military nobility looking bad.

Xu Huizu looked at Cheng Ji with something close to anger.

Li Zengzhi has barely left the Capital, and you immediately impeach him. What is this supposed to be?

Where were you before?

Even if you have evidence, Li Zengzhi is already a thousand li away. Who are you going to question?

The attending eunuch handed Cheng Ji's memorial to Zhu Yunwen. He opened it and read, inwardly startled as well: plotting treason, colluding with a regional prince, maintaining private warriors, and secretly forming a faction.

He really has piled on every charge that could get a man killed fastest.

There was even a charge that Li Zengzhi had visited the Jiaofang Office during the strict mourning period and brutally beaten its people.

Well, well.

Even I had to hold myself back during strict mourning, while you, Li Zengzhi, went off enjoying yourself.

"Do you have solid evidence for these twelve charges?"

Zhu Yunwen asked.

Cheng Ji hurriedly replied, "If a single word of mine is false, I am willing to accept any punishment."

Zhu Yunwen chuckled. Everything in Cheng Ji's memorial was indeed true; he knew that perfectly well. But Li Zengzhi could not die yet. Otherwise, how would Li Jinglong carry out his work for him?

"Set this matter aside for now. We will question the left chief commander when he returns to the Capital."

Zhu Yunwen rose.

"Court is dismissed."

The attending eunuch called out.

The civil and military officials knelt and bowed.

Zhu Yunwen returned to the inner palace and handed Cheng Ji's memorial to Liu Changge. "Send someone to deliver this memorial to Li Zengzhi."

Liu Changge hurried off to make the arrangements.

A faint smile lingered on Zhu Yunwen's lips. Li Zengzhi was wholeheartedly devoted to Zhu Di, but now his life lay in Zhu Yunwen's hands.

Yet he would not touch him. He would merely let him know that submission was his only way out!

Of course, Li Zengzhi was not the only man receiving this warning. Li Jinglong was too.

At the Hall of Martial Valor, Xie Jin requested an audience.

Zhu Yunwen finished annotating a memorial and said, "The Revenue Ministry has been having a difficult time lately."

With a bitter expression, Xie Jin hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, extending the new army policy to Beiping has required considerable expense. Combined with the policy of reducing labor obligations and taxes, the Revenue Ministry's days will likely be even harder next year."

Zhu Yunwen was unperturbed. "The empire must always move forward. We must still find new sources of revenue and curb expenditure. Our officials are now too numerous, and our institutions too bloated. We cannot go on like this."

Xie Jin naturally saw the problem clearly. But when the founding emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, had governed the court, he had always favored dividing power, then dividing it again.

The result of dividing power was the creation of three separate administrations: the Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Regional Military Commission.

You checked me, I checked him, and he checked you. None could overpower another, and none could command another.

When relations were good, they could meet, share a drink, reach an agreement, and resolve the problem.

When relations were bad, you could smash your cup and beg them as though they were your ancestors, and they would still ignore you. Chin raised, they would declare, I don't agree to this. What are you going to do about it?

Under the regulations, there really was nothing you could do.

Your Provincial Administration Commission handles displaced people. What? You need military assistance? Why should we help you?

Who do you think you are?

Without an order from the court, you won't get a single soldier!

More institutions naturally meant more officials.

After all, no one could be a commander without troops. A relative in the family? Come along and take a post. What, your wife's second aunt had a dog too? Bring it to the government office to guard the gate.

Having plenty of people was wonderful: an entourage before and behind, prestige radiating in every direction.

But more people meant greater expenses for the court. Salaries still had to be paid, after all, even if the salaries Old Zhu had set were not generous...

In a single locality, the chief officials and the officers of the various commissions numbered in the hundreds. Add the officials and clerks at every level, and there were several thousand at the very least.

With a large enough base, even multiplication by a small number produced a large sum.

Zhu Yunwen had always wanted to change this, but he had been on the throne for too short a time. Rashly disturbing so many people could easily cause trouble.

Xie Jin understood what Zhu Yunwen meant. "Your Majesty, streamlining the institutions is feasible, but we must not rush it. In my opinion, the most urgent matter remains the regional princes."

Zhu Yunwen looked at Xie Jin and asked slowly, "Do you believe the Prince of Yan will still make a move?"

Xie Jin's expression grew solemn. After pondering deeply, he said, "Your Majesty, the Prince of Yan is not a man who submits easily. Once he returns to Beiping Prefecture, he will surely stir up wind and waves."

"Oh? Even with all these arrangements in place, would he still dare take such a risk?"

Zhu Yunwen regarded Xie Jin with interest.

Xie Jin nodded firmly. "Your Majesty, the Prince of Yan is skilled in military affairs. If he finds an opening, he will strike like thunder. You must remember that he has taken no shortage of risks."

Zhu Yunwen paced through the Hall of Martial Valor, deep in thought.

Xie Jin's concerns were not unfounded. Zhu Di had immense ambitions. Moreover, he was Zhu Yuanzhang's son, whereas Zhu Yunwen was only Zhu Yuanzhang's grandson!

Zhu Di refuses to accept me!

He longed to seize the throne and take the supreme power he believed should rightfully belong to him!

But after all my moves, does Zhu Di still have the courage to stand against me?

"He certainly does not lack courage!"

Zhu Yunwen frowned and told Shuangxi, "Summon the Prince of Ning."

Xie Jin looked at Zhu Yunwen in confusion, but Zhu Yunwen merely smiled calmly, signaling that he need not be anxious.

Zhu Di's troops alone could not accomplish anything great.

He needed an ally, and that ally was the Prince of Ning, Zhu Quan.

Only now, Zhu Yunwen intended to bring Zhu Quan completely under his control and make him serve his purposes!