The battle was over, and the entire capital was under the complete control of Xiao Ruxun's army. The order and stability of the capital were quickly restored.
A small number of the soldiers in the capital had died, and the majority had surrendered. Xiao Ruxun arranged for the army to take them outside the capital and temporarily guard them, leaving some time for the capital to be reorganized.
All the people were ordered to return to their homes and shut their doors and windows. The army would provide them with the necessary rations, but if they disobeyed the order and went out, they would face imprisonment.
Unlike the people, the civil officials, generals, and military officers of the capital had no intention of staying at home. Although they hid in their homes at first, when the battle was quickly over and they heard the cheers of "Long live the emperor" coming from the Forbidden City, everyone's heart began to beat faster.
It was also at this time that Xiao Ruxun sent people to the capital to find the surviving officials and military officers according to the list of the Ministry of Personnel. He asked them to meet him in the Forbidden City and said that he wanted to discuss the affairs of the country with them.
They were brought to the capital with uneasy hearts and were unable to resist.
And just before this, Xiao Ruxun invited Yuan Huang to the Imperial Palace.
Ye Mengxiong was also sent to Myanmar. He was on the same ship as Fang Shoushi and was handed over to Chen Xie for strict supervision. From a personal point of view, Xiao Ruxun was not willing to kill them. Letting them spend the rest of their lives in Myanmar could be considered as fulfilling the last of his kindness. However, he was not willing to let go of Yuan Huang.
Compared to Ye Mengxiong and the others, Yuan Huang was the only one who was willing to follow Xiao Ruxun from the beginning to the end. For this reason, he even brought his family and disciples to Myanmar. When Xiao Ruxun was in dire need of civil servants, Yuan Huang supported Xiao Ruxun's administrative framework and nurtured the first administrative team for Xiao Ruxun, allowing Xiao Ruxun's administration to be maintained without collapsing.
It could be said that without the help of Yuan Huang, Xiao Ruxun would not be able to establish a regime in Myanmar.
Now, Xiao Ruxun had obtained the Central Plains, which was countless times larger than Myanmar, as his foundation. He hoped that his new government could have Yuan Huang as a founding elder to stabilize the political situation, even if he was just a transitional elder.
That was because he couldn't find anyone in the imperial court who could truly make him feel at ease and who could also convince the others. Among his subordinates, only Yuan Huang was the most suitable.
However, he also knew that Yuan Huang would find it hard to accept his actions.
But it couldn't be helped, it couldn't be helped. Even if he wasn't willing, he had to do it. And now, he had done it completely. He even sat on the throne in the Extreme Emperor Palace to welcome Yuan Huang, showing off the fruits of his victory.
"Deacon Yuan, I've said everything I need to say. I've never been so honest with anyone outside. I've told you everything in my heart, everything I want to do. For an Emperor to tell you everything in his heart, it can only mean that he has unparalleled trust in you."
Xiao Ruxun looked at Yuan Huang seriously, "Deacon Yuan, only you know who the real me is. You know what the real Xiao Ruxun is like."
Yuan Huang sat on an ordinary chair. Xiao Ruxun had arranged for him to sit on the opposite side of the throne, which was also on the steps.
"But this old subject would rather not know. Because the real His Majesty gives this old subject goosebumps."
This was all Yuan Huang said.
Xiao Ruxun shook his head.
"Duke Yuan, I know what kind of ideal ruler you have in your heart. Gentle, magnanimous, calm, benevolent, decisive, resolute, unwavering at crucial times, open-minded, willing to accept advice, and shining like the sun. This is your ideal ruler, right?"
Yuan Huang nodded, "This is the ideal Emperor in the hearts of all subjects. I am no exception."
"I know. Isn't the ideal ruler in Deacon Yuan's heart also the ideal ruler in my eyes? But Deacon Yuan, is such a person even possible? The wise Emperors of ancient times, Emperor Qin, Emperor Wu, Emperor Tang, Emperor Song, are they ideal people?
Emperors were human beings, and humans had emotions and desires. That was why Emperor Qin built a large number of buildings, why Emperor Wu of Han mobilized the entire country to wage war, why Emperor Taizu of Song wore a yellow robe, and why Emperor Taizong of Tang led the coup at Xuanwu Gate. They had all done terrible things, but did it affect their achievements?
He laid the foundation for the unification of China. Emperor Wu of Han's northern expedition against the Xiongnu greatly increased the prestige of China, and his martial arts were unparalleled throughout the ages. Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty established the Zhen Guan Temple and opened up new territories to the outside world. Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty unified the world and ended the chaos of war. He resolved the chaos caused by the martial arts and brought peace to the world. Who can deny these contributions? "
Yuan Huang closed his eyes and said nothing.
Xiao Ruxun continued, "Only do the right thing and not the wrong thing. Who can do it since ancient times? Who can? Who can say that they don't make mistakes? Who can say that they don't do things against their conscience? Who is always a positive person without a trace of darkness? Does such a person exist? Moreover, did they know that they made mistakes at that time?
Yes, I admit that I betrayed Emperor Daming. He didn't wrong me, but I lost confidence in him, the reform, and the dynasty. I want to change the world in my own way. Deacon Yuan, I think that I am kind to the people. During the three years in Myanmar, under my rule, did anyone starve to death?
Myanmar went from a barren land to a place that could feed millions of people. Was my contribution not enough? Was I not kind enough to the people? Was there anything wrong with my administration? Did I do anything wrong to the world? Am I not willing to accept your advice? Did I not correct my mistakes? Deacon Yuan, do you think I did? "
Yuan Huang opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Ruxun.
"Yes, Your Majesty's achievements will last for generations. I admire you. Since Your Majesty is so great, why do you need to talk nonsense to me? Why don't you give this old official a stab and let this old official see those who died under your butcher knife? "
"Deacon Yuan!"
Xiao Ruxun opened her mouth and said, "Since ancient times, there has never been a change of dynasties without death. It's not like you don't know about the problems in the Great Ming Dynasty. It's not like you don't know how many tax collectors have been hidden away by those landlords, and how much they have swallowed up. I'm doing this not only to force the farmers to my side, but for something even more long-term!"
"Long-term? What long-term? "
Yuan Huang stared at Xiao Ruxun's eyes.
"Deacon Yuan, why do you think that no matter how powerful and how long the dynasties have been, they will all collapse in the end?"
Yuan Huang furrowed his brows.
"The people are in hardship, homeless, natural disasters are endless, foreign enemies are strong, people's hearts change, moral decay, the king is muddle-headed, the civil and military mislead the country, policy mistakes, and so on."
"Not only that."
Xiao Ruxun shook his head. "These are all reasons. They are indeed serious, but there is another fundamental reason. Once it happens, the most irreversible reason is the lack of money."
"No money?"
Yuan Huang looked at Xiao Ruxun in surprise. "Why don't you give this old man a reason? The dynasty was destroyed because of a lack of money?"
"Deacon Yuan, this lack of money isn't that simple. It means that the central government can't collect taxes, and the tax revenue will decrease until it dries up."
Xiao Ruxun said, "Deacon Yuan, you should understand how terrible it is for the central treasury to not be able to collect taxes. When we go to war, we actually have to fork out money from the Emperor's own treasury for the army to fight, and not from the treasury.
When there is a disaster, the imperial court has no money to provide relief. When there is a rebellion, there is no money to suppress it. When roads need to be repaired, there is no money to repair the dykes of the Yellow River. Everything needs money, but there is no money to do anything. Hence, the country is finished. "
"Even so, what does that mean?"
Yuan Huang stared at Xiao Ruxun seriously.
"Deacon Yuan, let me ask you. Who are the people that the imperial court can't collect taxes?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
