Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 8 How Can We Trust You?

Zhu Yunhuan was stunned for a moment.

It's noisy.

I had just left the palace and returned home, and in the blink of an eye I was called back to the palace for questioning.

Old Zhu, couldn’t you have just kept me here at that time?

It also saves me from making an extra trip!

Zhu Yunhuan was full of resentment.

It’s not close from the Imperial Palace to the East Palace.

Transportation in this era mainly relies on two legs.

Although he traveled in a carriage, the wheels allowed him to move, so he only had to lie down.

But there can be no discount on time.

I was thinking in my heart, and dared not to be slack in my words.

"My grandson obeys the order!"

He immediately went into the palace with the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict.

Behind him, Zhu Yunwen looked at his departing back, and the smile on his face slowly froze.

The amiable expression gradually changed, and murderous intent gradually emerged.

Stand for a while.

He also turned and left.

It started out slow, then gradually quickened in pace, and soon disappeared.

……

Walking on the way to the palace, Zhu Yunhuan was thinking secretly in his heart.

This time, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned him to the palace, probably to ask him about his strategy for governing the country, right?
But I don’t know how to respond.

As a time traveler, he certainly knew the correct answer.

however.

Ideas that are too advanced often mean they are incompatible with the times.

I'm afraid it's hard for Mr. Zhu to accept this.

How to convince Lao Zhu is the most crucial thing...

"Your Majesty, the Third Grandson has arrived!"

"Let him in!"

Old Zhu's voice was heard, and Zhu Yunhuan stepped in.

In front of me is a courtyard that looks somewhat ordinary.

There is a pavilion and a vegetable garden in the yard.

At this moment, Old Zhu was digging the ground with his shoulders bare and wielding a hoe.

There stood a row of palace maids and eunuchs beside them.

Zhu Yunhuan's expression couldn't help but become a little dazed.

It is hard to believe that Zhu Yuanzhang, as the emperor, was so busy reviewing memorials every day, but he still had the leisure to grow vegetables in the palace.

"Hu'er, you came at the right time. We are tired of digging. Come and help us."

Old Zhu wiped the sweat off his face with the towel hanging around his neck, panting.

Zhu Yunhuan walked over, took the hoe from Old Zhu, and started digging while waving it.

He is a young man full of energy.

This time, they dug the ground without sparing any effort, and their speed was much faster than that of Lao Zhu just now.

"I'm old now, and my physical strength isn't as good as before! Hu'er, you dig much faster than me."

"Grandpa Emperor is in good health."

As Zhu Yunhuan dug the ground, he said, "Each department has its own duties, and each craftsman has his own way."

"Grandpa Emperor is the Son of Heaven and is responsible for governing the country. He doesn't need to do the digging himself."

"What do you know?" Lao Zhu shook his head.

"It's superficial on paper, and I absolutely know that this matter has to be done."

"Encouraging agriculture and sericulture is a major national issue."

"As the Son of Heaven, if you want to experience the suffering of the people, you should do it yourself."

“If you don’t dig the ground and plant the crops yourself, how can you know how the people live?”

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "Grandpa Emperor is right."

The area of this piece of land was not large, and he dug it all up in a short time.

"Come, have a cup of tea and sit down to have a good rest."

Old Zhu personally brought him tea and wiped his sweat with a towel.

"Thank you, Grandpa Huang!"

Zhu Yunxun said hurriedly. He was really tired, so he drank a few sips of tea and then lay down on the chair beside the pavilion, breathing heavily.

"Huer, how does it feel to dig the ground?"

Old Zhu asked with a smile.

"tired!"

Zhu Yunhuan replied with one word.

Old Zhu asked again: "Do you think you can do better than the old farmer if I give you this piece of land to grow vegetables?"

Zhu Yunhuan shook his head and said, "No!"

He added: "The old farmer has been farming for his whole life. I have no experience and this is my first time growing vegetables. I'm definitely not as good as the old farmer."

"That's right!"

Old Zhu asked with a smile: "Then why do you think you can do a good job even though you have never governed the country or been involved in government affairs?"

Zhu Yunhuan was stunned for a moment.

Old Zhu didn't look at him, but looked at the sunset in the sky and spoke slowly.

"You know that if you have never planted a piece of land, you will definitely not plant as well as the old farmer."

"You have never done anything like governing the world, yet you are so confident that you can shoulder this heavy responsibility."

"Do you think that governing the world is easier than farming?"

"If that is the case, then why does the court hold the imperial examination to select the best talents?"

"Wouldn't it be OK if we just arrested a few people and made them officials?"

Zhu Yunhuan sat up straight, looked at Old Zhu, opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but swallowed it back.

Old Zhu turned to look at him and said with a smile: "When you saw me summon you to the palace, you must have thought that I would ask you about your strategy for governing the country, and test you on how you would govern the world if you became the emperor and inherited the throne?"

Zhu Yunhuan's face turned slightly red.

This is indeed what he thought in his heart.

Today, in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, he asked for the position of Crown Prince. Although Zhu Yuanzhang did not agree, he did not reprimand him either.

To some extent, this can be regarded as a statement.

Since I have been summoned to the palace at this moment, I should naturally ask for further advice on how to govern the country.

Zhu Yunhuan had already thought a lot about this and had a ready draft in mind while on the road.

Try to further persuade Lao Zhu.

Unexpectedly, Lao Zhu didn't ask at all.

"Grandpa Emperor, lack of experience doesn't mean I'm totally incapable."

"Before Zhuge Kongming came out of the mountains, where did he get his experience in governing a country? Couldn't he have divided the country into three parts with just one word?"

Zhu Yunhuan retorted: "If you only give me, your grandson, one chance, I will definitely not be as good as an old farmer in farming."

“But grandchildren have one advantage over ordinary old farmers.”

"My grandson will continue to learn from experience and lessons and improve his farming methods."

“So repeatedly!”

“If I let my grandson farm for three to five years in a row, he will definitely be able to surpass most of the old farmers.”

After all, they have received nine years of compulsory education and have been influenced by the scientific and cultural ideas of the 21st century.

Zhu Yunhuan was still very confident about this.

College students who are farming for the first time are definitely not as good as experienced farmers.

But as long as there is time, the role of science and culture will gradually manifest itself and slowly surpass farmers.

"Oh, you're even comparing yourself to Zhuge Kongming."

Old Zhu looked at him with a straight face and smiled, "Let me test you. Do you know how many counties, officials, people, and acres of land we have in the Ming Dynasty?"

"How much is the annual tax revenue of the imperial court, and how much is the annual expenditure of the treasury?"

Zhu Yunhuan's expression suddenly became dull again.

The original body was not a very powerful person, and the memories he inherited did not contain this knowledge.

As a modern time traveler, he really doesn't know any of this!

Zhu Yunhuan could only shake his head and said with a red face: "To answer your question, Grandpa Huang, I don't know."

Zhu Yuanzhang was not angry, and said with a smile: "I know that you must think that you have a good plan to govern the country, so you are so arrogant that you want to inherit the throne and take on the responsibility of the Ming Dynasty. But I don't want to listen to your good plan to govern the country!"

He stared at Zhu Yunhuan, his expression gradually became serious and his gaze became more focused.

"Because you have never been exposed to practical work, everything you think about is just theory."

"A brave general must rise from the ranks, and a prime minister must come from a prefecture."

"You have never led an army to war, nor have you ever governed a state or county."

"Your so-called good strategies for governing a country are not castles in the air of your imagination."

"Empty words are useless. How can we trust you? And how can we entrust this country to you?"

(End of this chapter)