Chapter 470 Burying the Great Qing: Rule by Man or Rule by Law?
The Emperor Zhu stopped tapping his fingers on the table and said solemnly, "The Great Ming cannot lose its vigilance, it can never have the thought of storing weapons in the armory and letting horses return to the pastures."
The Great Ming of today is not without problems, but all problems are masked by its rapid development.
Taking land resources as an example.
Are the land resources of the Great Ming really not tight?
On the surface, the Great Ming is currently in a state of vast land and sparse population. Whether it is the so-called eighteen provinces of Han, or later Jiaozhi, Bangzi, Jiugang, and even Alaska and Louisiana, which were enfeoffed as the states of Qin and Jin, large tracts of land are left idle and uncultivated. It is indeed not related to land resource scarcity.
But once viewed from another angle, it is completely different—the Great Ming now needs not only land for cultivation, but also large amounts of land for industry, and its demand for mineral resources is an bottomless pit.
More importantly, the Great Ming is still in a period of explosive population growth. In just over a decade, the population has surged from over 300 million in the 48th year of Qianlong to over 500 million now. What about another decade or two or several decades?
Land resources are like Han Xin's soldiers; the more the better. No emperor would dislike having more land.
Besides land resources, there are also a lot of problems in other aspects of the Great Ming.
As the fallen literati Mr. Lu Shuren said: the forest is big, and there are all sorts of birds in it.
The more people there are, the more diverse the thoughts. Who knows when a "how dare you" guy will appear.
Just like someone once demanded reflection, believing that the Great Ming already had enough territory and should stop expanding outwards. Such ridiculous ideas existed in the past, exist now, and will never be fewer in the future.
Now, the Great Ming can still suppress those messy problems by relying on the dividends brought by rapid development. But who can guarantee that the Great Ming can always maintain rapid development?
If nothing else, the frequent conflicts on this small planet will definitely affect the development of the Great Ming.
Once the Great Ming's development slows down...
As a non-fallen literati Zhou Xun once said: the universe is not a dark forest, but the countries on this small planet are.
The Russians, the English, the Americans... even the Japanese and the French, the distance between these countries on this small planet and the Great Ming is not as vast as the distance between this small planet and the Trisolarians!
If the Great Ming stagnates, those small countries that have been bled dry by the Great Ming will have opportunities to catch up. Would those countries let the Great Ming go?
Perhaps some people will say that those countries hate the Great Ming because the Great Ming bled them dry and caused severe damage to other countries. If the Great Ming treated those countries kindly, the situation that Emperor Zhu worried about would not have occurred.
In fact, this argument is completely nonsense. People who can say this are either truly stupid or simply wicked—Did the Great Tang not treat Japan kindly back then? Did the Great Ming not treat Japan kindly? Even if they didn't treat them kindly, there was no oppression at the beginning, right?
After all, the attitude of the Central Plains towards barbarians like Japan was to welcome those who came and not pursue those who left. Those who were willing to come to pay tribute and learn were allowed to do so, and those who were unwilling to pay tribute and learn were allowed to leave. This was worlds away from oppression.
However, Japan first bared its teeth at the Great Tang, and only became honest after being beaten at Baishui River. Later, it also bared its teeth at the Great Ming, and only became honest after a certain unnamed general who was afraid of his wife severely disciplined them.
In fact, almost all countries fear power rather than kindness. Even the people of the Central Plains themselves have this tendency.
It is precisely because of this that Emperor Zhu intends to completely take over New South Wales now, and he intends to let merchants led by Wang Zixuan charge forward. After they seize a piece of territory, the Great Ming army will act.
Because Wang Zixuan and others made the first move, they could gain the honor of expanding the territory and enjoy a large piece of the pie—to put it bluntly, Emperor Zhu intended to set Wang Zixuan and others as role models, to encourage other merchants to emulate them. At the same time, Wang Zixuan and others would think from the perspective of expanding the territory and would not have thoughts like letting the horses return to the pastures.
After roughly explaining the reasoning to student Zhu Jianying, Emperor Zhu inexplicably asked, "I ask you, do you think our Great Ming, and even all previous dynasties, relied on rule of law or rule by man?"
Student Zhu Jianying was slightly stunned and replied hesitantly, "Since Father established the country, he has been promoting rule of law at all times. Our Great Ming should naturally be ruled by law. However, no matter how perfect the laws are, they are ultimately executed by people. Therefore, our Great Ming is actually similar to all previous dynasties, relying on rule by man?"
However, after answering Emperor Zhu's question, student Zhu Jianying felt a little awkward.
Because Emperor Zhu's question was too tricky. No matter how he answered, he couldn't avoid the relationship between people and laws—laws need people to execute them, and people also need laws as a criterion. Neither can do without the other. How can it be purely rule of law or rule by man?
However, what student Zhu Jianying did not expect was that Emperor Zhu merely smiled and shook his head, and then inexplicably asked, "Then I ask you again, what is the purpose of setting up a Ministry of Rites in every dynasty? Why does our Great Ming also set up a Ministry of Rites?"
Being asked this by Emperor Zhu, student Zhu Jianying became even more confused.
Since the Northern Wei Dynasty established the Ministry of Rites, and after the Sui Dynasty it became one of the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Rites has always been in charge of the ceremonies of the Five Rites and the laws of school examinations. It has under its jurisdiction the departments of Rites, Sacrifices, Food, and Guests, which are responsible for the affairs of rites and music, schools, religion, ethnic minorities, and foreign affairs. This system has been followed by successive dynasties.
So the question is: what does the affairs of the Ministry of Rites have to do with whether the Great Ming relies on rule by man or rule by law?
While student Zhu Jianying was in a daze, Emperor Zhu smiled and said, "In all previous dynasties, including our Great Ming, it is neither pure rule by man nor pure rule by law, but rule by rites."
Student Zhu Jianying said with slight dissatisfaction, "When Emperor Xuan of Han said: 'The Han Dynasty has its own system, fundamentally combining overlordship and kingship. How can it purely rely on moral education and use Zhou's governance!'"
Hearing student Zhu Jianying's statement, Emperor Zhu unexpectedly glanced at student Zhu Jianying and then burst into laughter, "Who ruined the Han Dynasty's empire?"
"He who ruins my family is the crown prince!" This was what Emperor Xuan of Han said to admonish the crown prince of the disadvantages of his "gentle benevolence and love for Confucianism," meaning: our Liu family has its own system of governing the country, combining overlordship and kingship. Do you want to purely rely on morality to educate the world? I can't see it. You little bastard are quite ugly and playful, and you actually want to restore the Zhou Dynasty's system of governing by rites?
Student Zhu Jianying saying this now naturally implies that Emperor Zhu is reversing history.
Student Zhu Jianying realized his slip of the tongue and quickly bowed and said, "Father, please calm your anger. It was my son's slip of the tongue."
However, Emperor Zhu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "There is no need to calm your anger. It is a good thing that you dare to speak to me directly. I am not so narrow-minded."
After laughing, Emperor Zhu then asked solemnly, "Let me ask you again, whether overlordship or kingship, do they not ultimately fall into the question of rule by man or rule by law?"
As Emperor Zhu said, whether overlordship or kingship, they ultimately return to the system, so there naturally exists the problem of rule by man or rule by law.
Emperor Zhu continued to ask, "If it is rule by man, then the rise and fall of the world should be attributed to oneself, that is, all merits and demerits should be attributed to the Son of Heaven. However, in the history of our Central Plains, there are not few examples of decrees not leaving the imperial city. What should this be said?"
"It is said that Jie and Zhou were tyrannical, but the Shang people also had the act of refusing to eat Zhou millet even if they died of starvation. What should this be said? It is said that the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing in the Han Dynasty, the reign of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, and the prosperous eras of Yongle and Renxuan in the Ming Dynasty. However, during the reigns of Wen and Jing, no one starved to death? During the reign of Zhenguan, no one starved to death? During the prosperous eras of Yongle and Renxuan, no one starved to death or rebelled?"
Student Zhu Jianying was silent.
As the eldest son of the Great Ming, the knowledge he had been exposed to and learned since childhood made Zhu Jianying clearly understand that no matter how beautifully the reigns of Wen and Jing, Zhenguan, Yongle, and Renxuan were described in historical records, they could not change the low productivity at that time.
In other words, most commoners could maintain themselves without starving to death, which was considered a prosperous era, far from the great harmony described by Confucianism, and even further from everyone being able to eat well and wear warm clothes.
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Emperor Zhu continued to say, "If it is rule by law, then governing the country should rely on the laws of successive dynasties, such as the 'Tang Code and Commentary' of the Tang Dynasty, or our 'Great Ming Code,' or the 'Great Proclamation' formulated by Emperor Taizu, but!"
Emperor Zhu shifted his tone: "However, whether it is the recommendation system, the nine-rank system, or the imperial examination, there is no subject specifically testing the laws of the current dynasty when selecting officials. Those officials may not be proficient in the laws of the current dynasty before taking office, and those who have some understanding are few and far between. How can this be called rule of law?"
"Even more strange is that these officials, selected through recommendation or the nine-rank system or the imperial examination, who are not proficient in the law, are precisely able to maintain the stability of the realm, and even gain the trust of the common people, with many being called benevolent officials.
Chapter 470 Burying the Great Qing: Rule by Man or Rule by Law?
Emperor Zhu asked with a smile, "Can you tell me why this is?"
When Emperor Zhu finished speaking, student Zhu Jianying was dumbfounded, and cold sweat kept breaking out on his forehead.
Student Zhu Jianying looked at Emperor Zhu foolishly and asked, "Is this what Father calls rule by rites?"
Emperor Zhu smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right, this is rule by rites. The Central Plains have never governed the world by wise rulers and virtuous ministers, nor by laws, but by rites, a set of rules generated around rites."
"Because the emperor feared someone usurping the throne, he established the rule of punishing the nine generations of the clan for rebellion. Officials and gentry feared that their interests would be harmed, so they restricted imperial power. The common people feared that their interests would be harmed, so they hoped for a law that would protect them."
"Therefore, from the emperor to all the people in the world, a set of rules is needed to guarantee their own interests, and at the same time to restrain those who can affect their interests, including themselves."
"And this set of rules is rites!"
"After the summarization of Confucius and Mencius and the development and growth of schools of thought such as Confucianism and Legalism, rites have become the bottom line in the hearts of all people in the Central Plains. It is this bottom line that has almost played the role of law."
"Precisely because this bottom line is deeply ingrained in people's hearts, many officials are not proficient in the law but can rule the people on behalf of heaven through the law. It is also because this bottom line is deeply ingrained in people's hearts that the common people usually have their own standards of conduct and are not easily touched by the law."
"Therefore, the Central Plains has always governed the country by rites, not by man or by law!"
At this point, Emperor Zhu smiled and asked, "So, do you now understand why the Ministry of Rites was set up, and why the Ministry of Rites is called one of the Six Ministries along with the Ministries of Revenue, Personnel, Punishment, Works, and War?"
In fact, the Ministry of Rites is not called one of the Six Ministries along with the Ministries of Revenue, Personnel, Punishment, Works, and War, but it implicitly ranks above the other five ministries, and can even be called the head of the Six Ministries—because the Ministry of Rites controls the rites and laws!
Student Zhu Jianying nodded as if he understood but didn't, and then asked with a look of confusion, "Then Father's continuous promotion of the rule of law is to replace the rule of rites with the rule of law?"
Emperor Zhu nodded slightly, pondered, and said, "Whether it is rule by rites, rule of law, or rule by man, the ultimate essence is to maintain the stability and balance of rules. However, times change, and any set of rules has its own limitations and cannot be applied to all eras, just like rule by rites, rule of law, or rule by man."
"When the old rules do not match the new rules, there will be fierce conflicts between them, and naturally there will be what Confucius called the breakdown of rites and music."
"For example, if our Great Ming were still the same as before, even the same as the Great Qing, then I would not need to promote any rule of law. I could just take the previous system of the Great Ming or even the system of the Great Qing."
"But the Great Ming is different from all previous dynasties. Its territory and population far exceed those of previous dynasties, and its explicit and implicit problems also far exceed those of previous dynasties."
"If nothing else, the Emperors Wen and Jing of the Han Dynasty would not have had to worry about the expenses of overseas military bases like I do. Emperor Yongle would not have had to worry about where to sell the cattle and sheep on the grassland like I do. And Qianlong the dog could not have been as concerned as I am about the children's education for all the common people in the realm."
Chapter 470 Burying the Great Qing: Rule by Man or Rule by Law?
"Therefore, the previous systems are no longer applicable to our Great Ming, and the places that need to be changed must be changed to make them adapt to our Great Ming."
"Taking over New South Wales is precisely an attempt!"