Emperor Chongzhen was too extreme.

Chapter 158 Are you citizens of the Ming Dynasty or bandits and slaves?

Zhu Youjian's voice wasn't very loud, but it was loud enough for many people in the front row of the crowd to hear clearly.

People looked at each other, momentarily confused as to what the emperor meant by asking such a question.

Based on past memories, some of these people had indeed witnessed the emperor giving a speech.

But back then, the emperor spoke in a way that was like the eight-legged essay, leaving people completely confused.

In short, he gives people a sense of profound mystery, making them afraid to even breathe too loudly.

And what is the emperor saying now?

He actually asked you when was the last time you had a full meal!
This is like what people talk about when they get together and chat casually.

But a perfectly normal sentence in an ordinary setting can feel incredibly unreal in this context.

Because it was the emperor who said those words.

Let alone the emperor.

Even a county magistrate in a small town might ask you this question out of the blue.

The local people would probably all respectfully call him "Lord Justice".

no way.

In a feudal dynasty like the Ming Dynasty.

There is a thick barrier between ordinary people and officials.

To some extent, although both can be called human, they are no longer the same species in essence.

It wasn't just the ordinary people who were shocked.

The officials and members of the Sun family standing to the side were also caught off guard and unable to react for a moment.

Upon hearing Zhu Youjian's words, Sun Quan turned his head, his brows furrowed in disbelief, and looked at Sun Chengzong, asking in a low voice, "Father, what exactly does His Majesty intend to do?"

Unlike the others, Sun Chengzong did not fall into confusion. Instead, he sharply raised his hand to interrupt Sun Quan's question.

immediately.

Sun Chengzong quietly watched the Emperor's back on the platform, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Just as everyone was momentarily stunned by the shock, Zhu Youjian took action again.

He pointed to another person and asked the same question: "When was the last time you had a full meal?"

The man jolted, but still couldn't immediately answer His Majesty's question.

Zhu Youjian then pointed to several more people, and each person's reaction was similar to the former.

Overwhelmed with gratitude and disbelief, yet unsure how to respond.

It wasn't until Zhu Youjian pointed to a child being held in his parents' arms that the child replied with a simple smile, "Your Majesty, it was on the Mid-Autumn Festival."

The child's clear and cheerful words eased the atmosphere, and the crowd couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Those behind initially had no idea what had happened ahead, but in such circumstances, the speed at which news spread was naturally extremely fast.

So almost immediately, the ordinary people behind them also knew what had happened and laughed along with them.

Zhu Youjian stood on the stage, looking at the crowd without saying a word, quietly waiting for the laughter to subside.

As expected, the crowd quickly quieted down.

However, after everyone calmed down, the initial confusion and bewilderment were no longer on their faces.

Instead, everyone looked thoughtful.

At this moment, everyone was pondering the question His Majesty had just asked: When was the last time they had a full meal?

For some people, having a full meal is a very ordinary thing.

After all, this is the prefectural city. If even the people in the prefectural city can't get enough to eat every day, then the Ming Dynasty should have perished.

However, this group is ultimately only a minority.

Even the people living in the city had to work constantly every day just to keep themselves from starving.

The vast majority of people rarely get a full meal.

Or rather, this is the base of support that Zhu Youjian truly wanted to mobilize.

This group of people were thinking and reminiscing.

Then, just like the child who had answered earlier, he finally remembered that the last time he had a hearty meal was also during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

After working so hard for so long, even a beggar needs to treat himself during holidays and festivals; that's perfectly normal.

But the problem is.

It has been two or three months since the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Some things are better left unthought.

But upon closer examination, it becomes somewhat difficult to accept.

At this moment, Zhu Youjian on the stage spoke again, pointing to someone at random: "How many hours do you work every day?"

The man remained silent this time, because he didn't know how to answer the question.

How many hours does he work each day? It's hard to calculate precisely.

Needless to say, during the busy farming season, almost everyone in the family who has the strength will be busy from morning till night.

Even outside of the busy farming season, they can't be idle; instead, they have to do some less physically demanding manual labor to supplement their family income.

Only in this way can we avoid a famine.

So he really couldn't answer that question.

I can't do it in front of so many people, especially so many important officials.

You say you're exhausted from beginning to end all year, but you probably don't even get to eat a full meal a few times.
It's best not to say anything that could undermine unity.

Bad influence!

then.

Zhu Youjian then asked several more questions.

The people he called out did not answer for various reasons.

Whether it was because they thought of their own hardships or for some other reason, the atmosphere among the crowd suddenly became somber.

At this moment, Zhu Youjian suddenly raised his voice and looked at the crowd, saying, "As citizens of the Great Ming, you work hard all day long but can't even get a full meal. Is this fair?"

Zhu Youjian's voice wasn't hysterical, but it was extremely penetrating, causing Sun Chengzong, who was standing beside the platform, to tremble violently.

At this moment, as Zhu Youjian spoke, the crowd below the stage lowered their heads even further.

It's unfair, and they're well aware of that.

Even if they had never witnessed the extravagant lifestyles of truly important people, they could see the lives of the local gentry and wealthy families all around them.

But what can we do about it?

Are we really going to join the emperor in causing trouble?
That would mean losing ten taels of silver.

Thinking about these things, everyone felt both guilty and helpless.

What they felt guilty about was that this was the first time they had encountered an emperor who cared so much about their most pressing concerns, and they felt really bad if they didn't do something for him.

Unfortunately, those ten taels of silver were really important. Unless the emperor could give them more.

Some people even took the opportunity to secretly glance at the mountain of silver in front of them and started making their own calculations.

Zhu Youjian looked at everyone and then remained silent.

Instead, they chose to give everyone ample time to think.

Because the essence of a perfect speech is not about how exaggerated the speaker's movements are or how hysterical their voice is.

Instead, the speaker needs to express the audience's truest desires.

If you don't understand what your audience really needs, you can't truly resonate with them.

The problem now is that many people in the Ming Dynasty don't know what they really need.

Do they really need those ten taels of silver?
As long as the mountain of vested interests still looms over them, it makes no difference whether it's ten taels or a hundred taels.

In the end, they'll all be taken away anyway.

But most ordinary people don't realize this.

However, we can't blame them for this; it's a limitation of the times.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian held this speech for a specific purpose.

It was to make people understand that as long as those people are alive, the good days they long for will never come.

At this moment, Sun Quan, who had been somewhat nervous, seemed to realize what Zhu Youjian was planning to do.

He looked at Sun Chengzong with hope and inquiry in his eyes, trying to get a positive answer from his father.

Sun Chengzong ignored Sun Quan and instead focused intently on Zhu Youjian's retreating figure.

His Majesty on the high platform had only said a dozen or so words, but his words had an extremely strong influence.

The people who bow their heads today are the best proof of this.

Just as Sun Chengzong was lost in thought, Zhu Youjian on the stage spoke again.

This time, both his tone and speed of speech suddenly increased significantly.

He pointed to the small silver mountain and said, "See that pile of silver?"

As Zhu Youjian spoke and acted, the people all looked toward the small silver mountain.

"This silver was all looted from you by the bandits who are causing trouble within the Ming Dynasty."

"These millions of taels are just the earnings of a branch of bandits in Baoding Prefecture over a few years."

These words immediately sparked discussion among the crowd.

People had already heard about it a few days ago when Lord Sun Chengzong led his men to kill the bandits in Baoding Prefecture.

However, no one expected that these servants would be so greedy.

So when they looked at the pile of silver again, a hint of anger appeared in their eyes. Although those high-ranking figures hadn't directly robbed the money from ordinary people like them.

Logically, they shouldn't feel too much hatred towards an enemy they've never actually met.

But the emperor himself said that the silver originally belonged to them.

The atmosphere has been built up to this point, wouldn't it be a waste not to hate?!
Seeing the anger in the eyes of the people, Zhu Youjian continued, pointing at the silver mountain, and said:

"Those real bandits, how many millions or tens of millions of the people's hard-earned money have they consumed?"

"If all this silver belonged to its rightful owner, would you be living such a life where even a full meal is a luxury?"

"Could it be that my great Ming Dynasty, with its vast and fertile lands, cannot even support its mere tens of millions of people?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, some hot-blooded young men in the crowd responded with scattered shouts.

But the majority of the crowd still chose to remain silent at this time.

The emperor was absolutely right.

But... that ten taels of silver was real.

Zhu Youjian naturally knew what everyone was thinking at that moment.

Once you've stirred up people's anger, the next step is naturally to lure them with benefits.

He straightened his dragon robe, which had become wrinkled from the large movements of his hands, and spoke to the crowd in a slightly softer tone:

“I know that you want to take back what rightfully belongs to you from the bandits, and I can swear to you in the name of the Ming Dynasty.”

"As long as you help the Ming Dynasty defend Baoding Prefecture, I will return everything that rightfully belongs to you after I lead my troops to defeat the bandits."

The crowd was in an uproar.

Almost instantly, a deafening discussion erupted.

Some of them had already guessed that the emperor was also willing to give them money.

After all, because the established families had taken the lead in distributing money, these people realized that they had "united front value".

But no one expected the emperor to ask them to help defend the city.

I thought I was going to fight alongside the emperor, but it turns out I'm just defending the city.
What else is there to say? The bag is great!

The danger of defending a city is inherently low.

Even if the enemy's attack becomes too fierce to withstand, we can simply surrender and return to being ordinary citizens.

Surely an internal war wouldn't lead to the extermination of all the people of the Ming Dynasty?

Ever since.

After a brief period of commotion, the crowd responded enthusiastically to the call.

People raised their arms and shouted, expressing their loyalty to Zhu Youjian on the stage.

They kept saying that His Majesty would surely wipe out the bandits and restore peace and order to the Ming Dynasty.

Those informants from the powerful families in the crowd watched this scene, and although they couldn't help but feel flustered, they didn't lose their composure.

If this is all the emperor can do, then they will naturally have ways to deal with it next.

The Sun family members, standing to the side, were also extremely excited to see this scene of the crowd in a frenzy.

Isn't this the scene before them exactly what they had initially hoped for—a resounding response from everyone?

But Sun Chengzong frowned almost imperceptibly as he watched this scene.

Have to admit.

Every word Your Majesty speaks directly to the hearts of the people. It is truly remarkable that you have been able to mobilize the people to this extent under such circumstances.

This was much better than he had expected.

Sun Chengzong originally only hoped to recruit a few thousand people in the entire Baoding Prefecture, but now His Majesty has mobilized tens of thousands of people with just this one move.

But that's all.

However, this is still insufficient when considering the overall situation.

Not to mention that His Majesty is also planning to take action against Shuntian Prefecture and Shanhaiguan.

The reason these people are so indignant is because His Majesty has promised them benefits.

However, the established families can offer even higher prices.

Things will become very difficult then.

However, using this method to make the powerful families bleed a lot of money is not a bad strategy.

What to do next depends on the reaction of the powerful families.

Doing this might be like drinking poison to quench thirst, but at least it will prolong your life by a few more days.

As long as you're alive, there's still hope.

As Sun Chengzong was pondering this, he suddenly noticed that Zhu Youjian was still standing on the stage with a blank expression.

Judging from His Majesty's expression, he clearly has something else to say.

Sun Chengzong narrowed his eyes slightly, and suddenly, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, he thought of something.

He then abruptly turned his head and glared at the Sun family members beside him, signaling them to all quiet down.

The group, unaware of the situation, obediently swallowed their congratulatory words.

On the podium.

Zhu Youjian looked at the people below who were united in their hatred of the enemy, but his heart was not stirred at all.

He believed in the power of the people, but not in their wisdom.

Especially the people of this era.

Zhu Youjian was very clear that the fanaticism these people were showing was all fake.

As long as the Shijia Group offers more benefits, they will "calm down" at any time.

Therefore, if you want to truly ignite their fanaticism, you must make them genuinely hate the enemy.

Zhu Youjian just stared at them expressionlessly.

Zhu Youjian remained silent.

The crowd gradually quieted down.

Looking at Zhu Youjian on the stage, the people couldn't help but feel a little scared, because the emperor's expressionless face was indeed quite frightening.

But something's not right. The Emperor shouldn't be happy about this, and should instead generously distribute that mountain of silver, right?
Just as everyone was having their own doubts.

Zhu Youjian spoke.

This time, however, it was even more shocking, or rather, horrifying, than the first time.

"You people disgust me."

Unlike before, when only Zhu Youjian was speaking.

After Zhu Youjian finished speaking, the messengers standing in a line in the crowd immediately relayed his words.

One messenger's voice after another rang out in the crowd, and soon reached the very back of the crowd.

slam-la-

Upon hearing this, tens of thousands of people hurriedly knelt down.

They didn't know why the emperor suddenly changed his expression, but everyone knew that if they didn't kneel at this moment, they might die.

Sun Quan and the others were instantly dumbfounded when they saw the people kneeling on the ground in front of them.

They, too, did not know why His Majesty was behaving this way.

Only Sun Chengzong, who had remained unmoved, suddenly flashed a sharp light in his eyes.

Amidst the widespread panic, Zhu Youjian continued:

“The bandits have plundered hundreds or thousands of taels of silver from you, yet you are grateful for a mere ten taels of silver that the bandits have given you.”

These words continued to travel back and forth.

Some of the people kneeling on the ground suddenly clenched their fists.

Zhu Youjian raised his voice, his tone becoming increasingly impassioned: "Do you really think that the bandits will let you go after you take their money?"

"Decades of exploitation have not yet made you see their true colors?"

"I can tell you, if I die, they will only take even more of the ten taels of silver they gave you and rip it off from you."

"Do you really not understand this point, or are you too afraid to face it?"

Some people in the crowd lowered their heads even further, while others raised their heads slightly.

The ratio between the two is such that the latter, though smaller, is almost equal to the former.

"If you don't understand this point, then I'm now explaining it to you very plainly."

"If you're afraid, then stop thinking about having enough to eat and just be a hardworking ox or horse for the rest of your life."

At this point, even more people in the crowd raised their heads slightly.

Several bold and hot-blooded youths even raised their heads and stared intently at Zhu Youjian.

Sun Chengzong was already in tears as he watched this scene.

My Great Ming Dynasty, in the end, did not fall to the point of national subjugation and annihilation!
At this time.

Zhu Youjian issued the final question of this speech.

He glanced at all the people, his tone returning to its usual calm:

"Now I'm giving you a chance to take back what rightfully belongs to you."

"And you."

"Are you prepared to be one of the millions of subjects of the Ming Dynasty, or to be a slave to bandits for generations?!"

(End of this chapter)