Chapter 129: Moving the capital is always an issue that the Ming Dynasty cannot avoid.

To put it bluntly, everything is to consolidate the dynasty's rule.

But as emperors themselves, they compared themselves with emperors of all dynasties.

In order to do better.

However, this comparison and this statement can only apply to the emperor himself and cannot be spread to others.

Because this world is governed by filial piety, governed by propriety, and ruled by the people of the world.

So when everyone in the world is criticizing an emperor, it doesn't matter whether what the emperor does is right or wrong.

It doesn't make any sense anymore.

Because he has been labeled, which is the accumulation of hundreds and thousands of years, an accumulation that is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Then this so-called tyrant will be remembered for thousands and ten thousand generations.

But put yourself in their shoes, those who can become emperors are especially the founding monarchs and the rulers of revival.

Everyone has his own methods. The so-called decisive killing can be divided into soft knife and hard knife.

After all, both hard and soft tactics are always applicable in politics.

Therefore, they never care whether they will be honored with a holy name or a bad name in the future.
Because they can neither hear nor see, it has become a passing cloud and scattered across the world.

So instead of worrying about the gains and losses in the future, why not be firm in the present and leave it to future generations to judge whether what you do is right or wrong?

This is why, except for the emperors who were truly nailed to the pillar of shame, everyone in later generations has mixed opinions and statements, and everyone has their own opinions.

Just as some people praise Zhu Yuanzhang, some people will insult Zhu Yuanzhang; some people praise Li Shimin, some people will insult Li Shimin.

But it is undeniable that some of the things they did were indeed wrong if motivated by human nature.

But this is politics, this is a feudal dynasty. The heavy responsibility of the country is on one's shoulders. Life and death are also between one thought. I cannot retreat. Only by advancing can I gain a glimmer of hope for survival.

Of course, this is the limitation of the feudal dynasty's thinking.

As for evaluating an emperor and discussing his personal morality, there is no truly good emperor in this world.

Because no matter whether they are good emperors, incompetent rulers or tyrants, they all maintain an idea deep in their bones.

The dynasty is immortal and the imperial power is supreme.

"What about the remaining emperors?"

At this time, Zhu Chong looked at Zhu Gang and asked.

"Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che."

"Externally, we attacked the Xiongnu in the north, opened up the Hexi Corridor, expanded the territory for the Han Dynasty, conquered the Western Regions, and established the Western Regions Protectorate."

"He fought for the integrity of the Han people and the glory of the nation."

"If the enemy can go, I can go too. How domineering."

"Internally, he reformed domestic affairs, unified cultural ideas, laid the foundation for future dynasties, and strengthened laws and expanded diplomacy, all of which are sufficient to prove the great talent and strategy of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che."

"So during his reign, he performed eight Fengshan ceremonies on Mount Tai, which demonstrated his high confidence in the unity of the country, the stability of the dynasty, and his personal achievements in civil and military affairs."

Zhu Gang spoke again.

"But it is also true that he is warmongering."

Li Shanchang spoke softly.

"It is true that Emperor Wu of Han was aggressive and aggressive, but it is also true that the Xiongnu invaded the border."

"Just like today's grasslands, they will invade the borders of our Ming Dynasty. Does Your Majesty's sending troops also mean excessive military expansion?"

Zhu Gang immediately retorted.

"Of course not. This is for the people of the world."

Li Shanchang shook his head decisively.

This big hat cannot be put on, otherwise Zhu Yuanzhang will definitely explode, and Li Shanchang will definitely be furious.

"So Emperor Wu of Han's aggressive military policy was actually aimed at curbing the Xiongnu's invasion and maintaining stability on the border."

"It also secured a longer period of peace for future generations, and through these battles, the territory of the Han Dynasty was expanded."

"This will have an indelible impact on the long-term development of the country."

"Besides, shouldn't we send troops to deal with foreign races?"

"Should we send the princess to marry?"

"Won't this make our great China, the Celestial Empire, bear the shame forever?"

"So the achievements of Emperor Wu of Han are definitely worthy of being enshrined on Mount Tai."

"As for his stupidity in his later years, it did not affect his enthronement."

"From an objective point of view, he is an emperor with great talent and strategy."

"After all, no one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. There is no perfect person in this world, let alone an emperor."

Zhu Gang thought about it before speaking.

"We, the Ming Dynasty, will never marry a princess."

"Even if we want to marry a woman to the Ming Dynasty, their woman must be sent to the Ming Dynasty."

"As for whoever wants to send our daughter away, we will kill him."

"Destroy their country, exterminate their descendants, and let them know that if they dare to say such words to the Ming Dynasty, they will have to pay this price."

A hint of ruthlessness flashed across Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, and he nodded heavily.

"That's right, our Ming Dynasty will never marry a princess!"

Zhu Biao also raised his head and spoke loudly.

"Your Majesty is holy."

The dukes present, led by Xu Da, all clasped their fists.

"No marriage."

"No compensation."

"No tribute."

"No cession of land."

"The emperor guards the gate of the country, and the king dies in the country!"

"This is how it should be for me, the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Gang turned around and not only looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, but also looked at everyone and said softly.

Although the voice was soft, the weight of the words was enough to shake their souls, and their whole bodies were trembling.

What a great emperor guarding the national border, and a king dying for his country, this demonstrates the integrity of the Ming Dynasty and will definitely make it famous forever.

In an instant, all the ministers present, including Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and Zhu Biao, showed excitement in their eyes.

This sentence brought them such a great shock, like thunder shaking the nine heavens, that it was impossible to erase the slightest bit of it.

"Biao'er, include this sentence in the imperial Ming ancestral precepts, so that our descendants will remember it."

"We in the Ming Dynasty should also be proud of this. The emperor guards the country's gates, and the king dies for the country."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to look at Zhu Biao again and said in a very serious tone.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was too excited and was not as delicate as Zhu Biao and Empress Ma.

Even Duke Hanguo Li Shanchang noticed it.

The imperial capital of the Ming Dynasty was in Yingtian Prefecture, which was once Jiqing and Jinling. How could the emperor, who was sitting in Yingtian Prefecture, guard the country's gates and the king die for the country?
After all, they have already reached Yingtian Prefecture, which means that the north has been trapped. How can it be called the border of the country?
While thinking, Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Gang again, with a hint of contemplation in his eyes.

But it was only for a moment, Zhu Biao's body trembled, and two big words popped up in his mind.

Move the capital!

In particular, the meaning of the emperor guarding the national border means moving the imperial capital to the north. After all, only in this way can it be considered that the emperor is guarding the national border and the king dies for the country.

But have you ever thought about this: if the imperial capital is really moved to the north, if the imperial court is defeated, should you escape or not?
If you don't escape, your country will be destroyed, so how can you make a comeback?
If he escapes, then the saying that the emperor guards the national borders and the king dies for the country will become empty talk and a laughing stock of the world.

Zhu Biao, who couldn't figure it out, sighed in his heart, but there was no movement on his face.

After all, this matter is not suitable for discussion now.

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang had already discussed with Zhu Biao the capital of the Ming Dynasty, which was that the capital must be moved.

Because Yingtian Prefecture is too far away from the northern frontier, although it is located in a strategic location, it is still a remote place after all.

Moreover, although Yingtian Prefecture is the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, it has experienced the Eastern Wu, Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen dynasties.

But after all, it was not a unified dynasty, and they were all short-lived dynasties, so establishing the capital here could only be a temporary measure.

But we can discuss where to move the capital?

Not only Zhu Yuanzhang was in trouble, but Zhu Biao was also in trouble.

But with Zhu Biao's intelligence, even if he couldn't figure out the general idea of ​​Zhu Gang's intention today, he could at least figure out 80% of it.

That is Beiping Prefecture, the vassal state of Prince of Yan Zhu Di, in the north of the country.

Only when it is located in Beiping Prefecture can the emperor truly guard the national gate and the king die for the country.

"As for the third emperor to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, it was Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu."

"He started his career as a commoner, went through hardships, and finally established his empire, restoring the Han Dynasty. His achievements are so great that they will be recorded in history forever."

"After ascending the throne, Emperor Guangwu of Han worked hard to govern the country, wiped out the scars of war, and implemented the policy of "laying down military power and cultivating culture", which gradually brought peace to society and allowed the people to recuperate, thus creating a prosperous situation of "Guangwu's Restoration".

"Under his rule, politics is clear, the legal system is restored, the economy is revived, and culture is flourishing. So why can't this person be enthroned on Mount Tai?"

"After all, rebuilding the Han Dynasty, extending its life by two hundred years, and initiating the Guangwu Restoration are already worthy of being enthroned on Mount Tai."

"The other question is why do you admire Emperor Guangwu of Han?"

“Who doesn’t hope that among their descendants there will be a leader who can revive the country, a leader who can turn the tide and save the country from collapse?”

"So this person is well-deserved, but to me, there are some criticisms."

Zhu Gang didn't care what Zhu Biao thought, but continued speaking.

"You mean to share the world with the noble families?"

Without waiting for Zhu Yuanzhang to speak, Zhu Biao, who couldn't figure it out, stopped thinking about it and instead raised his head and said.

"Ah."

Zhu Gang nodded slightly.

"Indeed, your ambition and mine is to share the world with all people, not with aristocratic families."

Zhu Biao still smiled and nodded.

"There are criticisms, but only criticisms."

"But extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As the old saying goes, no one is perfect and no one can really think about the future."

"So at that time, Han Guangwu's teacher was from a noble family in Nanyang, so he made full use of this identity."

"It is understandable that he united the aristocratic families in various places, especially the powerful forces in Hebei, such as Deng Yu and Geng Yan, to lay a solid foundation for his unification cause."

"After all, heroes are made by the times. His ability to rebuild the Han Dynasty and restore the country is undeniable."

"But he also laid the foundation for many drawbacks later on, including the expansion of local power, the solidification of aristocratic families, and serious problems such as land annexation."

"It is no exaggeration to say that the impact is so far-reaching that it has not yet been truly resolved to this day."

"Of course, this was not caused by Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty alone, but there were already signs of this since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period."

"It was not until the Eastern Han Dynasty that the aristocratic family system developed further, and the gentry entered the officialdom through methods such as recommendation and appointment."

"The control of the aristocratic families over politics, economy and culture became more prominent, forming the characteristics of 'clan politics'."

"Especially during the Sui and Tang dynasties, although the emergence of the imperial examination system provided more poor children with a path to officialdom and weakened the monopoly of aristocratic families, aristocratic families still maintained considerable influence in the dynasty."

"After all, there is a saying that goes, dynasties come and go for centuries, but noble families last for thousands of years."

Zhu Gang also looked at Zhu Biao with some emotion.

The things that can never be eliminated in this world are the aristocratic families and the powerful, because they control too many resources.

It even has the ability to influence the dynasty.

This is why later emperors tried every possible means to weaken the aristocratic families.

However, in order to maintain the rule of the dynasty, no emperor dared to burn his bridges and cause an indelible impact on the aristocratic families like Huang Chao did in the late Tang Dynasty.

Even so, the power of the aristocratic families was weakened, but the power of the gentry and powerful was gradually strengthened because of the imperial examination system.

To put it simply, it means a noble family, a famous family with a long history.

They have deep political roots and inherited privileges, so they are more inclined to institutionalize and concentrate on high-level politics.

As for the gentry and powerful people, they mainly refer to wealthy and powerful families in the local area. They may be powerful because of their wealth, land or local power.

Some gentry also had cultural education and participated in local administration.

Therefore, the gentry and powerful people are different from the aristocratic families in that they are not in the upper political level, but are reflected in the local areas.

In the Han Dynasty, especially during the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were already powerful landlords who owned large amounts of land and controlled local politics and economy.

Another thing is that some powerful families gradually developed cultural heritage and formed characteristics similar to those of gentry.

Until the Tang and Song dynasties, with the maturity of the imperial examination system, many scholars who failed to enter officialdom or retired to their hometowns (including those who failed the imperial examinations) became local celebrities.

Thus, they participated in local governance with their knowledge and reputation and became part of the gentry.

But the most serious situation was during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when the gentry class was particularly strengthened. This group of people gained fame and fortune through imperial examinations, donations, or ancestral influence.

Although they were not entirely appointed officials by the imperial court, they enjoyed prestige in the local area, participated in local government affairs, and had an important influence on local governance.

At the same time, some of them may also be financially powerful.

"What a saying that goes: dynasties change over the centuries, but a family remains immortal for a thousand years."

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands with gloomy eyes.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang came from a humble background and naturally suffered from the oppression of the gentry and powerful people. Therefore, no one hated these so-called aristocratic families, gentry and powerful people more than Zhu Yuanzhang.

"The rise and fall of dynasties has made it impossible for the aristocratic families to stir up trouble in the court, but the problems of powerful gentry and land annexation are still the main concerns of our daimyo."

"So in order to prevent it from turning into a situation of endless trouble, what we have to do is to target it, suppress it, and destroy it as much as possible."

Zhu Gang smiled nonchalantly.

And everything that the Ming Dynasty is doing now is actually to suppress the gentry and powerful people so that they can no longer oppress the people.

"How can it be so easy to overthrow the gentry and the powerful?"

"It is something that has never been accomplished in previous dynasties. Even if we want to, it will be difficult for the Ming Dynasty."

"Because as long as there is order in this world, the gentry and the powerful will not truly perish, and everything they do is only temporary."

"After all, when a powerful gentry dies, there will be new ones rising up, and they can't be completely eliminated or killed."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed softly again.

(End of this chapter)