Chapter 103                        

Minzhuang was an inconspicuous design in the Ming Dynasty military system. It was not on the roster of the Ministry of War, but was the army that was built by the local government to deal with the situation, either to prevent thieves or to guard the checkpoints. No, it could hardly be called an army.

However, with the weakening of the Ming army, the military weight of civilians became more and more important. The temporary and entangled militia armaments and even the military weapons were not large enough, so they could directly face the enemy's elite troops. Of course, they would lose more than they would win. However, in the battle, not only elite troops were needed, but also cannon fodder.

These people didn't even have a pension, and they were buried in a roll of straw mat. The family in their hometown may not know about it.

Zhou Mengchen remembered the thin militia under the capital city back then. Although they were numerous and had weak combat power, they had no contribution. But because of this, they could not deny their sacrifice and courage.

Zhou Mengchen said, "Your Majesty, do you think they are willing to die? Do you want to spend a few dou of rice subsidized by the court? But because your Majesty is here and the court is here, this is the legacy of the ancestors. But, I risk my life to ask, does Your Majesty think that the legacy of the ancestors is endless?"

"Zhou Mengchen, you deserve to die." Jiajing said furiously.

"I deserve to die for ten thousand crimes." Zhou Mengchen said: "Since I deserve to die for ten thousand crimes, I will not be afraid of death. What is the legacy of the ancestors? It is land. When Taizu was still alive, there were more than 3,000 acres of gentry in the world, all of whom were on the side of Emperor Taizu. Although Taizu repeatedly launched major cases, it was not conducive to the scholars and officials, but also to the common people. It was precisely because of Emperor Taizu that at that time, almost every household in the world had farmland. In this way, even if Emperor Taizu used heavy dictates, the people would not realize that they would have him. What is the present day? The blessings had a land that was connected to the ridge, and the poor had no place to stand. The rich were rich enough to compete with the country, and the poor were displaced and could not die."

"How many virtues do you have?"

Jiajing suddenly stood up, lowered his body, walked to Zhou Mengchen, and said, "Do you think I dare not kill you?"

Zhou Mengchen said: "For a person, life and death are great, and for a country, a person's life and death are small. I am not afraid of death, but I am afraid of death to make Your Majesty the bad reputation of killing a virtuous person, but it is not my fault."

Zhou Mengchen was also talking a little at this moment.

Of course, this is also not as good as Zhou Mengchen's deepest respect for the emperor. Although it is almost the closer they are to the emperor, the less sacred the emperor is, the more they are not as sacred as the emperor. However, the scholars of the Ming Dynasty grew up in the idea of ​​loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. If they were not influenced, it would be impossible.

The so-called awe of the emperor lies in the power in Jiajing's hands.

However, the power in Jiajing's hands has actually been weakened a lot. This weakening lies in Jiajing's body. Jiajing may not have any feelings about it, but a serious illness in Jiajing did not have no effect on the court and the country.

One thing that happened in the court and the country was that Jiajing was old.

Any minister with vision will think about one thing. That is how they should deal with themselves in the post-Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. Don’t underestimate these little thoughts. If only one person has such little thoughts, Jiajing will suppress it. But if most people have such little thoughts, Jiajing will naturally be weakened.

Power is very angry, and everyone wants to see it. Even if the position is not high, it still has the power to surpass the position. If everyone knows that this person is almost finished, then this person is likely to be finished.

Zhou Mengchen is not the same as before. Jiajing decided to kill Zhou Mengchen like a counselor.

Not to mention anything else, Jiajing rarely needs to consider the hundreds of thousands of troops in the south and north of the Yangtze River. The general who had already been promoted by Zhou Mengchen. Even if he really wanted to kill Zhou Mengchen, he had to deal with these people, so that it was Zhou Mengchen's turn to finally be Zhou Mengchen.

With this confidence, Jiajing was forced to make him anxious again, so that's what he said.

Jiajing said calmly: "I am not a bloodthirsty king, but you just say it is false. In the palace, it has become a wall of shattered walls. What is the so-called hearts of the people, the foundations, and the so-called virtues?"

Jiajing was not quibbling, but his understanding of politics was completely different from Zhou Mengchen.

Zhou Mengchen's understanding of politics is obtained in political books. Politics and economy are closely linked. Jiajing's understanding of politics is more inclined to power and conspiracy, rather than the upright way that Zhou Mengchen thought.

This is also determined by the different circumstances of each person.

Jiajing rarely faced the people directly. His thinking about the Ming society was only within the palace. In the palace, there were more conspiracies and murders. Without a broader perspective, he never believed in the power of the people. He didn't care about what kind of water could carry a boat or overturn it. His so-called love for the people was actually just pretending.

How can I believe Zhou Mengchen's words?

Zhou Mengchen naturally could not teach Jiajing a lesson. People like Jiajing had long been deeply rooted in their own thinking. They were unshakable. No matter what Zhou Mengchen said, it was useless. Instead, they could be disgusted by Jiajing.

Zhou Mengchen could only follow Jiajing's words: "Your Majesty, you cannot borrow the power of the common people, but Your Majesty can only communicate with the common people through the scholars and officials. After this, there are no words of the common people, but they are all the words of the scholars and officials. But now it is different. Because of the newspaper."

"Your Majesty only needs to pay attention to the newspaper and open the ban on newspapers. Naturally, a lot of news will be revealed from the newspapers. If Your Majesty sends Jinyiwei to monitor the world newspaper, there will naturally be a steady stream of news. As long as Your Majesty is willing, you can ask the Prime Minister."

"If there is a blessing in the world, there is a saint king. If there is a misfortune in the world, he will be the chief assistant."

When Jiajing heard this, his brow raised, his heart suddenly moved, and he said, "Okay, okay. Zhou Qing's talent is better than Jia Sheng."

Jia Sheng mentioned by Jiajing refers to Jia Yi.

Jia Yi's talent is extremely dazzling even in the long river of five thousand years of history. His greatest contribution was to formulate a series of operating methods and principles for the Han Dynasty. It can be said that before Jia Yi, the Han law was just a little looser in the Qin law. After Jia Yi, the Han Dynasty's rule was formed to reveal some of its own characteristics.

Jiajing felt that Zhou Mengchen's design today was very similar to Jia Yi's style.

If the rules set by Zhou Mengchen, the emperor will always be a saint in the future, and will use public opinion and judicial control to balance the cabinet. Although the cabinet has greater power, it will be eaten to death.

It is unlikely that the imperial power will be affected in the future. Moreover, the requirements for the emperor will be greatly reduced.

It is difficult to do things, but it is easy to pick things up.

The emperor seemed to be in charge of major policies, but in fact, major policies were discussed by the emperor and his ministers and elders. Therefore, even if the major policies were wrong, it was not the emperor's fault. The emperor still maintained that he could interfere in the power of the government. At any time, as long as he was willing, he could find one or two questions in public opinion, amplify them into the focus of the government and the opposition, and then use this to question the cabinet.

As for the step of asking for responsibility, it depends on which step the emperor needs to do.

Be free to advance and retreat, and don’t work hard, just put more effort into controlling the military power.

Jiajing naturally turned anger into joy.

But Zhou Mengchen also has his own ideas.

He knew one thing very well. There was a temporary law, but no law for all eternity. The laws formulated by Zhou Mengchen today do not have much restrictions on the emperor's power. It only allowed the emperor to pull out the policy implementation stage, and even strengthened the imperial power to a certain extent. After all, the emperor could strengthen his attention to other aspects.

But this is also the reality now. The power in Jiajing's hands cannot tolerate Zhou Mengchen's presumptuousness. Zhou Mengchen really wants Jiajing to give Xu Jun, and Jiajing really has the possibility of making up his mind to kill.

However, Jiajing was Jiajing. Other Ming emperors were other Ming emperors. Not every Ming emperor had the ability and skills of Jiajing.

Today, as long as Jiajing passes, he reverses a tendency. That is, from the Tang and Song Dynasties to the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, the trend of institutional power becoming increasingly concentrated towards imperial power.

This is a good thing.
Chapter completed!