Volume 3: Confrontation! The Run of Civilization Chapter 444: The Princes’ Response
Also in July 1620, Fuguo, Seoul.
Yes, at this time Korea had been renamed Fuguo, and it had changed from an overseas vassal state of the Ming Dynasty to the territory of the Zhu family.
From his arrival in Seoul in October 1619 to now, Zhu Changxun has been in control of Korea for nine months.
"Your Majesty, through the efforts of the Cabinet, the Ministry of Revenue, the Imperial Guards and other departments, the reconstruction of the Yellow Book of Fuguo has been completed in seven provinces. It is expected that the last Yellow Sea Province will be able to complete the inventory before October this year."
"Well, Changshi, you've worked hard."
The ruling institutions of Fuguo were basically copied from the Ming Dynasty. The outer court was the cabinet and six ministries, and the inner court was the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Guard, but the scale was obviously much smaller. As for the local institutions, Zhu Changxun wisely did not adjust them for the time being - it was still the same eight prefectures, and the prefectures and counties under the prefectures remained the same.
As for the appointment of officials, Wanli, who was already the retired emperor, was still generous to his favorite son: the first chief historian of Fuguo was Yang Shouqin, the top scholar in the 32nd year of Wanli. If he had not returned home to observe mourning for his mother for three years, it might not have been the turn of Sun Chengzong, the runner-up that year, to become Zhu Youdong's teacher.
"Your Majesty, this is our duty. During this period, Your Majesty's footprints have spread all over the eight provinces of our Fuguo. During the spring ploughing season, you rolled up your trousers and went to the fields to plant rice with the local people. Your Majesty has really worked hard."
"Hahaha, I'm just putting on a show. My country of Fu is newly built, and the chief secretary has to take care of so many state affairs and appease the former Korean officials. It's really hard work."
After the king and his ministers praised each other for a while, Zhu Changxun asked, "The recent reorganization of the former Korean army has been going smoothly, right?"
"Basically, your Majesty. Before the reforms of the Ming Dynasty, the border troops had a hard life. Many old and weak people could not even get enough food and clothing, and their equipment was rarely replaced for decades. But the soldiers of the former Joseon Dynasty had a worse life than the border troops of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, your Majesty purchased a large amount of rice from Zhou and Tang. After these soldiers were well fed, they were very grateful to your Majesty and swore absolute loyalty. The instigation of some Li scoundrels had no effect at all."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Zhu Changxun's best friend, the newly appointed eunuch Zhang Tong, who holds the seal of the Fuguo Silijian, and Zheng Guotai, the commander of the Fuguo Jinyiwei and the brother of Concubine Zheng, also said, "In recent months, the Jinyiwei has uncovered thirteen cases in which the former Korean royal family and the two-class nobles were preparing to launch a rebellion or assassinate the king. All of them were reported to the Jinyiwei by soldiers and civilians when they just showed signs of rebellion. It can be said that the king distributed land to the people and won the hearts of the farmers. The abolition of the two-class system and the implementation of the imperial examination system for all citizens won the hearts of the middle and lower-level scholars. The re-issuance of salaries and adequate food and clothing won the hearts of the soldiers. A few scoundrels are no longer a concern."
"Hahaha~" After laughing heartily for a while, Zhu Changxun said, "Alas, I used to be a fat pig kept in a pen in Luoyang. How come I came here to be on my own? Do I really have everything covered and no problems at all? Chief Secretary, Grand Companion, Uncle, you always say nice things to me, but I am getting more and more nervous."
"Your Majesty, when it comes to problems, my country of Fuku has no shortage of them. There are two most pressing issues that need to be resolved right now."
"Changshi, please speak."
"First, money. Your Majesty, I shouldn't ask how much money you brought from Luoyang. But our country of Fu was founded nine months ago, and you have invested more than 8.7 million silver dollars so far. The national finances are losing nearly 1 million dollars every month. And your Majesty also said that this year the whole country of Fu will be tax-free, and next year the agricultural tax will be 30% and the commercial tax will be 10%. The year after will be restored to 15% and 5%. According to your strategy, I estimated that my country of Fu will lose at least half a year or even nine months to achieve a balance between income and expenditure. I wonder where the remaining 6 million silver dollars will come from?"
"Tsk!" Speaking of money, Zhu Changxun's head began to hurt.
The Fu prince was still rich in the past. When he was established in Luoyang, Wanli gave him a lot of land and rewards out of compensation.
However, Fufan was a new vassal state after all, and unlike the Tang and Zhou vassal states, which had accumulated wealth for more than ten generations, it lacked the foundation. Therefore, if Zhu Changxun really wanted to pay out 10 million silver dollars at once, he would not be able to do so.
When Zhu Changxun came to Korea to take up the throne, he sold all the rare treasures, shops, and factories in the Prince Fu's Palace (the royal fields were automatically nationalized), and then took back all the working capital, but even so, it was only 4 to 5 million. And with the full support of Concubine Zheng, Zhu Changxun only brought 10 million silver dollars when he came to Korea to take up the throne. As a result, after nine months, the money was almost gone.
"Um, Chief Secretary, when will the autumn harvest be ready for Fuguo?"
"Your Majesty, our Fu Kingdom stretches 3,000 miles from north to south, and the autumn harvest time varies greatly from place to place. Some places in the south have already completed the autumn harvest, but it will probably take some time for the north to start. However, Your Majesty, even if it is the autumn harvest, you have already said that this year there will be no tax exemption when you landed at the mouth of the Han River. Therefore, after the autumn harvest, the relief for the people may stop, but the soldiers' rations cannot be saved, and we still have to continue to buy food from Zhou and Tang."
"Humph! The two profiteers, the Crown Prince Zhou and the Crown Prince Tang! I heard that they bought grain in China at the price of six stone of grain for one silver dollar, and then sold it to us at the price of three stone of grain for one silver dollar. Not only did they make twice as much money, but they also asked us to pay for the transportation ourselves... And these two guys are older than me, I... Hey! I'm so angry."
"Your Majesty, this is something we can't do. Zhou and Tang were given good places. It is said that the land there generally has two or even three crops a year, so naturally the food is cheap. For example, Fuguo can only harvest one crop a year, and Pyeongan Province and Hwanghae Province in the north can only grow wheat... The two countries are incomparable in agriculture. In addition, the Ming mainland and the Gui Kingdom in the east are now buying large quantities of food. Zhou and Tang are raising the price, and we can't do anything about them."
"Forget it, as for the money, I will shamelessly ask the Emperor Taizong for it. No, I will borrow it, and I will pay it back later. Anyway, Chief Secretary, the necessary relief cannot be stopped. These 100,000 soldiers must be supported for the time being. Of course, my country of Fu has only a little over 10 million people in the country according to the Yellow Book. In addition, behind us is the mainland of Ming Dynasty, and across the sea is the country of Gui. So it is a waste to support 100,000 troops. After the Yellow Book is checked, we will find a way to demobilize some soldiers, and then the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue will come up with a plan. In short, I think it is enough to keep 30,000 standing troops in the country."
"Yes, I obey your command. Your Majesty, there is one more thing that needs to be done quickly."
"What is it?"
"Your Majesty, the six major newspapers in the Ming Dynasty have been attacking Neo-Confucianism in a series of articles recently. It is very clear what the emperor is thinking. Fuguo should also express its position as soon as possible. Otherwise, if Tang, Zhou, and Gui are ahead of us, I am afraid that it will cause the emperor's displeasure."
"Ah! This matter of Changshi reminds me of something! I was negligent."
It can be said that although he had only been a powerful king for nine months, he was at the top of the country for a long time. Therefore, Zhu Changxun saw Zhu Youdong's various actions very clearly.
In Zhu Changxun's view, Zhu Youdong's series of major actions in ideology and culture in the past six months are actually based on four fundamental goals. First, integrate the equality of rights and obligations into the core values of the nation. Second, correct the "rule of virtue" and promote the "rule of law". Third, on the basis of the first two points, completely abolish the "harmony between heaven and man". Fourth, on the basis of the third point, promote science.
Zhu Changxun did not object to the first point: this point required the emperor and king to be loyal to the monarch and protect the people - this is what the Ming royal family has always done. For hundreds of years, the emperor has been trying his best to suppress land annexation, isn't it protecting the people?
In fact, the fundamental purpose of proposing this article is to draw a line for officials: from now on, you are no longer officials serving the people, but public servants who enjoy the people's hard-earned money and serve the people!
This must be achieved first before the administration of officials can be rectified.
How to rectify the administration of officials? Replace morality with law. Zhu Changxun keenly discovered a problem in the endless reports of the six major newspapers: although the six major newspapers contained the theories of various schools of thought, it was obvious that the government was promoting some ideas of the Legalists, as well as the legal ideas of the West, especially ancient Rome.
Zhu Changxun fully agreed with this point: His Royal Highness Prince Fu was completely spoiled by the hypocrites of the Donglin Party who talked about morality and saints in the early years of the struggle for the foundation of the country. He knew very well that the emperor did not want to completely deny Confucianism, nor did he want to completely deny the role of morality in the national system. On the contrary, the emperor just wanted to lower the moral standards so that everyone could do it relatively easily in daily life. Instead of raising the moral standards infinitely as in the past, and finally forcing the people of the country to become hypocrites.
As for the Confucius Mansion, Zhu Changxun certainly knew that this family was the biggest hypocrite in the Ming Dynasty, so they must be overthrown. Only by overthrowing the Confucius Mansion as a benchmark can the emperor's two orders be truly and effectively implemented.
And after defeating the biggest hypocrite in the country, the theory of "correspondence between heaven and man" will naturally be abolished.
Zhu Changxun also supported this. When Prince Fu was studying in his early years, he saw that Yao Chong, a famous prime minister in the Tang Dynasty, took many specific measures to eliminate locusts. However, after he did so, many people did not understand him and he was even attacked by the ministers. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Shi even wrote a poem to mock Yao Chong, saying that after the locust plague, the important thing was not to eliminate the locusts but to cultivate virtue. When Zhu Changxun saw this passage, his image of Su Shi was instantly shattered.
In recent years, the Ming Dynasty has dominated East Asia, and there have been frequent exchanges of personnel between East Asian countries. His Royal Highness Prince Fu has long known that in countries like Japan, earthquakes occur all day long. If we talk about the induction between heaven and man, this country cannot function normally. In countries like Siam, there are rainy seasons and dry seasons in a year. According to the induction between heaven and man, there are no four seasons, which is a disaster for the country. But there are three harvests of rice in that place, so how can there be a disaster?
After the shackles of the connection between heaven and man were broken, the greatest means used by the literati to restrain the emperor was gone. Similarly, the scholars of the kingdoms could no longer use this to restrain the king. Zhu Changxun certainly supported it.
As for the last one, promoting science. His Royal Highness Prince Fu even agreed with both hands: At present, the steam engine has not been fully promoted in the mainland of Ming Dynasty, and the damage of the industrial revolution to the country's agriculture is not obvious. With the support of high-yield crops from America, as long as there is no major famine, the overall food supply in the country is still enough, so the new rice cultivated by Shu Fan in the mainland of Ming Dynasty is only advancing slowly. But for Fuguo under the governance of His Royal Highness Prince Fu, they have planted new rice seeds on both sides of the Han River this spring and achieved a bumper harvest. They are also preparing to fully promote the new rice seeds in the eight provinces of Fuguo next year-His Royal Highness Prince Fu is also very interested in science.
"I understand. Then I'll ask the chief secretary, who is a top scholar, to write a great article. After I review it, I'll publish it in the Han River Daily to show the attitude of our country."
"Yes, I obey your command."
