Chapter 5: Belief (Three)

Wang Cheng'en interrupted, saying: "It can't be possible!"

Zhong Jinwei was apprehensive that Emperor Chongzhen might send a eunuch to accompany him day and night. He couldn't help but recall the beautiful classical young girl he had just met, who was gentle, virtuous, diligent, and easily frightened. He felt a bit shy and, after a while, said to Zhong Jinwei: "Your Majesty, could you possibly allow that palace maid, Aqi, to be my attendant"

Emperor Chongzhen appeared somewhat agitated; after all, he was only twenty years old. From hearing that he was to become the ruler of a fallen nation to the prospect of enriching the country and strengthening the military, revitalizing the Ming Dynasty, how could he not be excited? Emperor Chongzhen declared: "Very well, no matter how difficult it may be, I am determined to implement reforms"

After Emperor Chongzhen made the arrangements, he seemed to ignore the red face of Zhong Jinwei and said, "Mr. Zhong, do you have any further requests?"

Zhong Jinwei said: "Three, the writing I used at that time is quite different from the present. To be honest, Your Majesty, I can hardly understand ancient texts. Could you assist me in finding a small aide, a secretary, that is, someone to help me read and interpret texts, serve tea, and facilitate communication."

After speaking, Emperor Chongzhen left with his attendants, leaving the palace maid Aqi standing alone on one side. On the other side, there stood a time traveler: Zhong Jinwei, also in a daze.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen felt somewhat embarrassed and said to Wang Cheng'en: "Quickly prepare a cup of my favorite fishhook tea for Mr. Zhong." Taking advantage of this moment, Zhong Jinwei asked: "May I inquire what Your Majesty thinks of what I have just said?"

At this moment, Zhong Jinwei's mind was already not functioning well. He replied, "Not at the moment, I can't recall."

Wang Cheng'en secretly thought to himself: "He claims to be an honest person, but he is just a cunning old fox."

Although Zhong Jinwei did not wish to dampen the mood, he still reminded, "Your Majesty, many ancestral systems are no longer suitable for the times, and it may be necessary to contravene them"

In the present, the Ming Dynasty can actually be divided into three groups. At this point, Zhong Jinwei wanted to draw a diagram, but soon realized he had no means to do so, so he continued to speak: "The three groups of commoners, scholars, and the emperor seem to have been said to share governance of the world. The interests of the scholars and the emperor are relatively close, in opposition to those of the commoners. The best scenario is when the interests of the commoners, scholars, and the emperor compromise and reach a consensus; at that time, the nation is strong. Generally, the situation is that the interests of the scholars and the emperor compromise with each other, conflicting with the interests of the commoners; and in the worst case, the interests of the commoners, scholars, and the emperor are in severe conflict with one another, often leading to turmoil and changes in dynasties."

Emperor Chongzhen nodded slightly and said, "Hmm," this cannot be forced, nor can it be compelled.

At this moment, the tea arrived. Zhong Jinwei, regardless of whether it was hot or not, first cleared his throat and then continued: "On the surface, the power of the common people appears to be the weakest. The reason lies in the fact that this group is too large to coordinate and speak with one voice. However, under specific conditions, they can unite and speak as one, unleashing their tremendous power. This specific condition occurs when the common people can no longer survive; they will begin to raise a single voice, pleading for survival."

Zhong Jinwei smiled and said: "You see, this is how I analyze it. The interests of the common people are simply about survival; it is very straightforward. As for the interests of the gentry, they seek wealth, and they travel thousands of miles to hold office solely for financial gain. Where does this wealth come from? It comes from two other groups: the common people and the emperor. The common people are exploited, which I need not elaborate on. Now, how do we explain seeking wealth from the emperor? The emperor represents the state, and originally, the emperor needs money to support such a large household, which means collecting taxes, also from the common people. However, at this point, the gentry intervenes and intercepts the taxes that should be collected by the emperor, increasingly so, leading to an inevitable conflict with the emperor in the end."

Zhong Jinwei only thinks that Shang Yang's reforms were successful in unifying the Qin state, yet he does not consider that Shang Yang ultimately paid the price of his life for this. This metaphor is quite inauspicious. However, even if he were aware of it, he probably would not be superstitious, simply because he does not care about such matters

Upon seeing the demeanor of Emperor Chongzhen, Zhong Jinwei immediately understood the situation. Moreover, he was not inclined to take the lead; it was akin to playing a game for him, preferring to undermine others from the shadows. He had no choice, as he lacked the strength to charge to the forefront. Those who have played games know that to confront a monster head-on, one needs exceptional equipment, whereas to undermine others from behind, one generally only requires good weapons.

Emperor Chongzhen said: "Alright, please go ahead, sir"

Emperor Chongzhen glanced at the already flushed Zhong Jinwei and said: "I bestow you upon Mr. Zhong; from now on, serve him well and do not be negligent."

Zhong Jinwei quickly responded with humility, saying, "I am unworthy, I am unworthy; let us discuss this together." After saying this, he slightly lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then raised his head to ask Emperor Chongzhen, "Your Majesty, what is your view on the common people?"

At this point, Zhong Jinwei paused, ceasing to speak, and looked at Emperor Chongzhen. Emperor Chongzhen remained deep in thought, not uttering a word. On the side, Wang Cheng'en could not help but respond, asking, "How can that be seen?"

Emperor Chongzhen could not help but smile and said, "This, no need for the gentleman to request, will naturally be arranged."

Emperor Chongzhen said: "In extraordinary times, one must take extraordinary actions!" After a pause, Emperor Chongzhen continued: "Zhong Jinwei, I bestow upon you the title of ... ... " He hesitated again. Although according to Zhong Jinwei's account, he was nearly a juren, in this dynasty, he was nothing at all, and his background was unclear, making it difficult to explain. If he were to be granted a title all at once, the group of ministers outside would surely cause an uproar. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel very frustrated. Although according to Zhong Jinwei's account, he was nearly a juren, in this dynasty, he was nothing at all, and his background was unclear, making it difficult to explain. If he were to be granted a title all at once, the group of ministers outside would surely cause an uproar. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel very frustrated.

Wang Cheng'en could not help but roll his eyes, and then said to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, I suspect that Mr. Zhong is referring to the storyteller."

With this statement, Zhong Jinwei began to speak: "Your Majesty, from the historical events that followed, it appears that in your heart, the common people have not yet been elevated to a very high level of recognition. In Chinese history, there was an emperor who had a profound understanding. Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty once said, 'The ruler is the boat, and the people are the water; the water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it.'"

After Emperor Chongzhen nodded, Zhong Jinwei continued, "Second, if this era differs from my history, it is not my intention to deliberately deceive Your Majesty, and I hope Your Majesty can be understanding."

Zhong Jinwei turned to Emperor Chongzhen and said: "Your Majesty, I have a solution, but it requires Your Majesty's great resolve to implement it. I am willing to be like the ancient Shang Yang, to help Your Majesty realize the desire for a prosperous nation and a strong military"

"Let Mr. Deng speak to me again when he remembers. I have memorials to attend to today; I will see you again tomorrow. Da Ban, proceed to the imperial study."

Zhong Jinwei took the initiative to speak, saying: "Your Majesty, I do not wish to hold any official position; I will simply offer you some ideas, and you may consider them for implementation later." At this point, he added a flattering remark: "This way, it will truly highlight Your Majesty's wisdom and might!"

Gradually, Zhong Jinwei's voice became increasingly hoarse. He wanted to drink some water to soothe his throat, but unfortunately, he did not see a cup. Noticing that the two listeners were deeply engrossed, he had no choice but to endure and continue speaking. However, by the end, he could no longer bear it and said: "Your Majesty, could you please provide a cup of water to moisten my throat?"

Emperor Chongzhen was in a dilemma about how to appoint Zhong Jinwei. After hearing what he said and weighing the situation, he could only respond, "Alright, but since you are working for me, I must reward you." In the end, he thought to himself, "If you are not seeking an official position, then what do you want? Surely you do not wish to take my place?" Thus, he asked again, "You are helping me without seeking an official position; what can I use to reward you?"

Aqi lowered his head, unable to see any reaction, and simply replied in a low voice: "Yes"

Emperor Chongzhen pondered for a moment and said: "Every single matter seems incredible at first glance, yet upon careful consideration, it makes sense. I have spent my life in the deep palace, and what I have seen, heard, and thought has not exceeded this scope. My teachers have only explained to me the ancient wise texts. Sir, you understand both the future trajectory of the nation and the path to the prosperity of future strong states; please teach me. " After saying this, he rarely bowed to Zhong Jinwei. In fact, Emperor Chongzhen had always been very eager to learn, but most of his teachers were from the Donglin Party, who primarily focused on teachings that emphasized respect for teachers and reverence for Confucianism.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen was slightly taken aback: "As for my subjects, of course I love and cherish them." Zhong Jinwei smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am a very straightforward person, so I do not wish to offer you flattering words. I will speak my mind, so please do not take offense.

Zhong Jinwei spoke again: "However, Your Majesty, I also have a few requests that I hope Your Majesty can agree to"

It is impossible. Let me ask you, since the establishment of this dynasty until now, with the economic development, that is, the increasing number of goods and population, has the tax revenue collected by the national treasury also increased? Is there a proportional relationship that corresponds to the economic growth? Even if the places where money is spent are increasing, aside from land taxes, are there any other taxes that have also increased?

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen exclaimed, "Oh, so he enjoys exploring the mountains and waters. As long as he has a request, that is good. Ah, I too wish to see the world beyond the Forbidden City!"

Zhong Jinwei observed that Emperor Chongzhen was listening attentively, and continued to explain: "This means that the common people can support a nation, but they can also overthrow it; or, to put it another way, the commoners are like lambs, possessing no power whatsoever. It is very easy to kill or slaughter them, even a group of commoners can be easily dispatched without any resistance. However, under specific conditions, the commoners can transform into rebellious subjects. Killing one is easy, but what about killing a group? Or even more? This is akin to the hardness of an arrow; a single arrow is easily broken, two arrows are also easy to break, but what about a bundle of arrows?"

Wang Cheng'en called in Aqi, who was serving nearby, at the door. After Aqi entered, he knelt before Emperor Chongzhen and said, "This servant pays his respects to Your Majesty"

Zhong Jinwei listened but did not understand the underlying concerns in Emperor Chongzhen's words. He directly expressed his own heartfelt thoughts, saying: "Your Majesty, my experiences may be unique in this world, equivalent to living two lives. As a person of the future, I sincerely hope that the Chinese nation, specifically my Han ethnicity, can avoid the tragic centuries that lie ahead and not be bullied by Western countries, allowing the Han people to always stand at the forefront of world civilization. In my lifetime, I wish to travel around the world and see the vastness of the universe." After finishing, he secretly added to himself: "I hope my descendants will no longer have to learn that troublesome English, and instead, let the whole world learn the challenging Chinese."

Emperor Chongzhen hurriedly said: "It is no trouble, it is no trouble, I am very pleased."

Zhong Jinwei emphasized at this point: "If this situation is not properly addressed, if the conditions that give rise to it are not severed, and if we merely resort to killing, one day, the countless commoners who cannot be eradicated will form an overwhelming force that will overthrow everything. Zhu Yuan, ah, no, the founding emperor of this dynasty, was once the strongest representative of such a force. In the current period, in my understanding, we have gradually reached a stage of intense conflict among the commoners, the gentry, and the emperor." Zhu Yuan, ah, no, the founding emperor of this dynasty, was once the strongest representative of such a force. In the current period, in my understanding, we have gradually reached a stage of intense conflict among the commoners, the gentry, and the emperor.

Emperor Chongzhen listened, laughed heartily, and said: "You have taken a liking to my palace maid so soon; Aqi is indeed skilled and clever, very good." He then turned to Wang Cheng'en and said: "Let the palace maid Aqi come in."

Wang Cheng'en glanced at Emperor Chongzhen with his eyes and then said, "You, sir, how do you explain this?" Remembering that he had referred to Emperor Chongzhen as 'sir,' he quickly changed his words.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen could not help but think to himself: What I lack is silver!

Firstly, my words and actions may seem incredible to you and others, and may not conform to the established norms. I hope Your Majesty can understand. " As Zhong Jinwei spoke, he gestured towards Wang Cheng'en and the outside. The reason for mentioning this again is that his behavior is at odds with the current era, which is a significant flaw in his arrival in this time. It is likely that he will frequently face criticism in the future, and he needs to remind the Emperor more often.

These principles were heard by Emperor Chongzhen, yet he did not speak; he merely listened to Zhong Jinwei's explanation