Chapter 26: Li Fan’s Plan is Too Frightening
Empress Ma looked at the somewhat annoyed Zhu Yuanzhang, unsure how to persuade him. After all, the policies he made were problematic, severely hindering the development of Ming. Previously, she didn’t think there was anything wrong with the emperor. Besides a few particularly strange rules, most of his policies continued those of the previous dynasty, so it shouldn’t be the emperor’s fault. She spoke slowly:
“Li Fan said that if we want to break out of the 300-year cycle of dynastic change, we must have the courage to burn our bridges. If we continue to govern the country with the previous dynasty’s methods, the Ming dynasty might not last 300 years!”
Xu Da, hearing Empress Ma’s words, felt his legs go weak and directly squatted down. What Li Fan said was too alarmist, especially the part about the Ming dynasty not lasting 300 years. No official would dare to say such a thing, especially now that the emperor has stricter control over officials.
Moreover, the key point is that the emperor’s policies are most beneficial to officials, so it’s impossible for them to willingly break their own rice bowls. So now, what Li Fan is doing can be said to have incurred public wrath. He would likely be isolated by the officials in the end, especially with the proposal that officials and gentry should pay taxes. Fortunately, the emperor did not adopt this suggestion. If he had, all officials and gentry of Ming would have hated Li Fan, and Li Fan would become a target for everyone on the street.
Now I understand the emperor is in a dilemma. On one hand, he wants to adopt Li Fan’s methods to prolong the Ming dynasty. On the other hand, he fears that using radical methods could lead to big problems. I should quickly distance myself from this troublesome place. I should have left earlier. Now I’m sitting here out of fear!
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned at Empress Ma’s words. Since coming to Fengyang, his frown lines had noticeably deepened. Li Fan is really bold, daring to openly claim that the Ming dynasty won’t last 300 years. In the past, such words would have been labeled as treasonous. But now, hearing these series of flaws, it’s clear that the Ming dynasty needs to change. He sighed and said helplessly:
“Now the Ming dynasty is like a ship that has already set sail. It’s completely in the water and far from the shore. What Li Fan is doing is like starting to repair the ship. Simple repairs are acceptable, but he wants to overhaul it. The first step is to dismantle the entire keel. Wouldn’t the ship sink immediately?”
Empress Ma understood the emperor’s meaning. He certainly wants to make changes. After all, as the emperor, he surely wants to prolong the Ming dynasty. He would never do anything to harm Ming, but Li Fan’s methods are too radical. For an emperor with old-fashioned ideas, it’s hard to accept Li Fan’s radical methods. She remembered Li Fan’s explanation and comforted:
“For a newly established country like Ming, if even you, the founding emperor, don’t have the courage to change, future emperors will have an even harder time! The entire Ming dynasty will be doomed!”
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed. As the founding emperor, he must lay a solid foundation for his descendants. But Li Fan’s strategies are truly frightening. Even he, as the emperor, feels a bit terrified hearing them, let alone the other ministers. His biggest worry is that even if he implements such plans, the ministers won’t execute them properly, and this could lead to unimaginable consequences. He said worriedly:
“Li Fan’s methods are indeed too radical. They make me quite uneasy. If his methods could be a bit more moderate, I would accept his suggestions!”
Empress Ma, hearing that the emperor was ready to consider Li Fan’s suggestions, felt a sense of relief. After all, she was eager to prolong the Ming dynasty. She didn’t want the nation she helped build to last only 300 years, so she must persuade the emperor!
“Li Fan says ruling a great country is like cooking a small fish. The power of the Ming dynasty doesn’t belong solely to Your Majesty, but is shared between the scholar-official class and the emperor. So to change this situation, we must be cautious and guided by circumstances, redirecting the scholar-official class’s attention to other matters. By the time they realize the emperor’s reforms, it will be too late, and they will have no choice but to accept them!”
Hearing Empress Ma’s explanation, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn’t help but regard Li Fan more highly. If the Ming dynasty had a few more people like Li Fan, it would undoubtedly be beneficial for the nation’s continuation and development. The key now is to prove Li Fan is an honest official and loyal to him. As long as he passes the Ministry of Revenue’s audit and Liu Bowen’s scrutiny, he can be greatly utilized. Although he can’t be promoted immediately, bringing him back to the capital is no problem. Leaving him in Fengyang is less ideal than having him at the center to oversee everything!
After the empress’s introduction, he gained a new understanding of Li Fan and was eager to meet and discuss with him. But now was not the best time to meet him, especially since it’s not yet proven that he is an honest official.
“As long as it is proven that Li Fan is an honest official, I will certainly value him highly, bringing him back to the capital to take up an important position. The entire plan needs Li Fan’s oversight. No one else can accomplish this task!”
Xu Da, hearing the emperor’s words, couldn’t believe his ears. He thought the emperor was going to punish Li Fan. Unexpectedly, there was a surprising turn of events. Perhaps this is what they call fortune favoring the righteous. He had long recognized Li Fan’s extraordinary nature!
“How does Your Majesty plan to determine that Li Fan is an honest official?”
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