Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 55 The Prime Minister’s kindness is not over yet!

In August of the seventy-sixth year of Chongzhen's reign, you ruthlessly wiped out all the remnants of the Ming Dynasty in the two capitals and thirteen provinces, and established a new court that completely obeyed your orders, achieving a "change of dynasty" that wasn't really a change of dynasty!

As the saying goes, the Han Dynasty divided the East and the West, and the Song Dynasty divided the North and the South. It may seem like one dynasty, but in reality it was two generations... Now, thanks to your efforts, the Ming Dynasty, while not changing its name or even its emperor, has become a new dynasty, completely different from all the previous ones.

The year is 1703. The change of dynasty, originally supposed to have taken place in 1644, was delayed for a full 59 years... However, despite the delay, it finally happened. And the amazing thing is, like Li Zicheng, the man who was supposed to bring about the change of dynasty, you are also from Mizhi County in northern Shaanxi...

Therefore, some gossipers among the people began to say, "The people of Mizhi County are the nemesis of the Ming Dynasty after all. Last time, Li Zicheng failed to destroy the Ming Dynasty, but this time, Prime Minister Zifang helped him to do so... This is what we call destiny!"

Some people even said, "I think Prime Minister Zifang is the reincarnation of Li Chuang! An old man has seen Li Chuang, and his face looks exactly like Prime Minister Zifang!"

"That's right! Back then, Li Zicheng tortured hundreds of officials in the capital and extorted a total of 70 million taels of silver! And Prime Minister Zifang also raided the homes of hundreds of officials in the capital and seized 700 million taels of silver..."

"How could this be such a coincidence? The Prime Minister must be the reincarnation of Li Zicheng!"

【“…”】

You've naturally heard these rumors, but you've never taken them seriously, simply laughing them off. As long as the Divine Emperor trusts you, that's all that matters!

[But speaking of Li Chuang, you do need to do a few more things that are exactly the same as Li Chuang...]

[Seeing the Ming Dynasty flourishing with vitality and all things flourishing, you are overwhelmed with emotion and feel that you need to truly begin to take action against the Ming Dynasty's major ills!]

When you were questioning the Lord in the Hall of Preserving Harmony, you mentioned several major problems facing the Ming Dynasty: first, corrupt officials; second, repeated natural disasters; third, the imperial family and nobles; fourth, the aristocratic families; fifth, the inequality between the rich and the poor; and sixth, the tax system.

[Now that you've swept away corrupt officials across the country, as long as you do a good job of monitoring them, the first point will be solved.]

The second reason stems from the natural climate change of the Little Ice Age, so there's nothing you can do about it. You can only do your best to provide disaster relief and maintain basic agricultural production.

So the only four things you can directly change are the royal family, aristocratic families, wealth inequality, and the tax system.

[Well, now is the time to start working...]

In the seventy-sixth year of the Chongzhen reign, you issued an order in the name of the Prime Minister to all prefectures and counties: "From this day forward, survey all land across the country. From now on, all land will be taken over by the imperial court. Private sale is prohibited! Lands of the wealthy will also be divided up and distributed to the landless and land-poor. Ensure that all farmers throughout the country have access to land!"

[As soon as this order was issued, the world was immediately divided into two factions: one was the poor peasants, the other was the landlords!]

Although the poor peasants didn't understand what "the land belongs to the court" meant, they were naturally overjoyed to finally get their share of the land, welcoming the Prime Minister's new policy!

"The Prime Minister's kindness is not over yet!"

The landlord nearly fainted from anger: "New policies are fine, but why are you taking my land away?"

[So even though they knew you, Zhou Zifang, were no pushover, they still fiercely expressed their opposition!]

[And yet, in the face of these opinions, you have already prepared and published one theoretical article after another...]

"Everything is created naturally, so how can there be any master? All possession and ownership are just human conceit. People always want to own something, but never consider that they are not actually its owner, and that it has never had an owner!"

"Just like land and gold and silver, who they belong to is always determined by the size of one's fist!"

"If I'm stronger than you, I can certainly beat you into handing over your money. And if you're stronger than me, you can certainly take what belongs to me. Force is the only fundamental force that determines who owns wealth!"

Everyone was in an uproar, some were stunned: "Prime Minister, you mean that if I grab something, it becomes mine? If that's the case, wouldn't everyone be fighting and stealing every day? Wouldn't that cause chaos in the world?!"

【It is difficult for people to accept your theory and logic! 】

You were still prepared: "This is indeed the origin, but it is precisely because if we allow it, it will cause chaos. Therefore, we need to artificially establish a recognized ownership of wealth. This ownership is the country, the Ming Dynasty."

"Everything in the world should first belong to the Ming Dynasty, and then be divided and used according to ownership. Whoever the Ming Dynasty says it belongs to, then it belongs to that person. Whoever the Ming Dynasty says it does not belong to, then it does not belong to that person!"

Everyone scratches their heads: "What if someone steals or robs others?"

You said seriously, "That's subverting the authority of the Ming Dynasty and violating Ming Dynasty law. The Ming Dynasty will recover the stolen money and impose punishment... Anyone who dares to do so will first meet the iron fist of the Ming Dynasty, and I guarantee they'll have all the purple eggs they want!"

After your presentation, everyone gradually understood: It's nothing complicated. It simply doesn't recognize private property, only public ownership. The Ming Dynasty is the master of all things in the world, and everything we own is just temporarily loaned to us by the Ming Dynasty...

However, this overbearing logic still makes many people uncomfortable: "What if someone who can't even defeat the Ming Dynasty comes out and claims that the world is his private property?"

You smiled and said, "Of course he has the final say... But we believe the Ming Dynasty can defeat any enemy, and with His Majesty here!" [Hearing these half-explanation, half-threat words, the crowd, who were originally very unhappy, immediately felt a chill: Yes, besides the Ming army, there is also His Majesty!]

Anyone who dares to oppose the new policy will first be injected with a special purple egg medicine, and then be subjected to the iron fist of His Majesty...

[So, most landlords had no choice but to accept the land distribution... But some very confident people refused to believe it and insisted on opposing the land distribution!]

Soon, documents from all over the two capitals and thirteen provinces flew to the Prime Minister's residence like snowflakes, and were even privately delivered to the Imperial Palace!

[Some of them are princes of the royal family, some are sons of noble families, some are heads of powerful families, and there are even more important ones...]

"Prince of Qin, Prince of Jin, Prince of Dai, Prince of Su, Prince of Fu, Prince of Zhao... Prince of Ding, Prince of Yong... How come there's also a Crown Prince and an Eldest Princess?!"

[Looking at the list of these princes and royal family members, I almost got dazzled. There are so many immortals listed!]

All of these descendants of the Zhu royal family sent letters, relying on their status as vassal kings to dictate the new policies: "In short, no one is allowed to divide our land!"

[Especially the several children of the Divine Emperor. Although they did not use overly harsh words, their tone was undeniable: You are just a subject, we are the masters.]

These letters from your clan members made you hesitate for the first time. After all, no matter how you reform, you are still under the authority of the Divine Emperor... As the people have previously questioned: What if there is someone you can't even handle? What will you do?

[You didn't take it too seriously at the time. After all, the Divine Emperor was behind you. Who in the world could the Divine Emperor not handle? Now that I think about it, there is indeed one, and it's the Divine Emperor himself...]

[Other princes are fine; they're not close relatives of the Divine Emperor anyway, so they can be reduced in power! But the Crown Prince, the Princess, Prince Yong, and Prince Ding are different. Their biological father is the Divine Emperor. Once you start a fight with them, the Divine Emperor is unavoidable.]

They say that if the emperor breaks the law, he's guilty just as much as the common people, but that's pure empty talk. Anyone who believes that is a complete fool! After all, even your power comes from Him. How could you possibly use something He gave you against Him? You really don't want to do this anymore, do you?

Now, what should I do?

You're feeling a bit troubled...

After much deliberation, you decide to only cut off the fiefs of those distant princes for now, while leaving the direct blood relatives of the Divine Emperor, such as the Crown Prince and the Princess, alone for now!

[As the de facto supreme ruler of the Ming Dynasty, you have both the confidence and the power!]

【…】

In the seventy-seventh year of the Chongzhen reign, while the sound of New Year's firecrackers and the smell of gunpowder had not yet dissipated, the work of surveying and dividing land had already begun in full swing throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces!

[Wherever the Prime Minister extends his hand, officials responsible for distributing land will flood the area!]

[In just one move, you divided up 60% of the land in the entire Ming Dynasty, and then, under the blood-stained gaze of the landlords, distributed it to the landless peasants who were weeping like rain...]

"The Prime Minister's kindness is not over yet!"

[Across the two capitals and thirteen provinces, all those who have become tenants or refugees due to natural disasters and poverty have cried out this way... Just like Li Zicheng, who once distributed the land and property of landlords to the poor, you are gradually gaining public recognition and becoming a person truly remembered by the world...]

【But you won’t stop there.】

In the seventy-eighth year of Chongzhen's reign, you will mobilize the landowners throughout the country to dredge rivers and build water conservancy projects. The court will provide corresponding financial support.

In the seventy-ninth year of Chongzhen's reign, you introduced high-yield crops like sweet potatoes and corn from Southeast Asia, encouraging the widespread planting of these crops in areas unsuitable for growing rice and wheat to prepare for famine.

In the 80th year of Chongzhen's reign, a severe drought struck the north! While organizing disaster relief, you simultaneously relocated hundreds of thousands of inland victims to Liaodong to reclaim wasteland, filling the nearly deserted land left by the Divine Emperor's massacres.

In the same year, you solemnly declared: "During this prosperous era, the population will increase, and taxes will never be increased!"

[In the 81st year of the Chongzhen reign, you began ordering your craftsmen to develop their own steam engines, aiming for future industrialization...]

Under your tangible control, the lifeless Ming Dynasty began to gradually recover, and the entire nation enthusiastically engaged in construction. Almost everyone saw hope for the future in this series of changes!

[Our Ming Dynasty is thriving! ]

[At this moment, only the yellow-robed man in the Forbidden City had his brows furrowed more and more...]

……

(End of this chapter)