Chapter Seventeen: Every Man Has a Responsibility

"The Great Ming's common ideal?"

Liu Bowen paused, clearly taken aback by the novel term that had just emerged from the Emperor's lips. He repeated it involuntarily, then turned it over in his mind, savoring it. The more he chewed on the phrase, the more he sensed a profound significance beneath the surface. It was as if he had caught a glimpse of something, yet it remained obscured, shrouded by layers he could not quite pierce.

"Yes, the Great Ming's common ideal." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, his voice firm.

This was a profound realization he had gained during his fifteen years of living in the modern era. He had witnessed China undergo changes unseen in a millennium, rising from the ashes with a renewed and formidable vitality. He had seen how, in the span of just a few decades, the nation had surged forward, changing with each passing day. Because of this, he habitually drew parallels to his own Great Ming.

He pondered why, after he had founded the dynasty, it had been plagued by so many corrupt officials—a crop that grew back no matter how ruthlessly he purged them. He questioned why, by the middle and late periods of his dynasty, successive emperors had begun to wallow in incompetence—especially the Wanli Emperor, who didn't even bother to fill vacant official posts, severely crippling the administration of the empire. He wondered why the Shanxi merchants conspired with enemies to betray the country, and why the gentry crazily annexed land.

From high-ranking officials in the court to minor local clerks and wealthy merchants, everyone was frenetically gnawing away at the interests of the Great Ming, utterly indifferent to its survival. They only thought of gorging themselves on benefits while the Ming still lived, then joyfully awaiting its collapse and the rise of a new dynasty. They expected to use the flesh and blood they had torn from the Ming to rise quickly and continue living stable, wealthy lives.

But the result was that when the Ming collapsed, many of them did not find the good life they had anticipated. Instead, they were met by the blades of the Qing army—the Ten Days of Yangzhou, the Three Massacres of Jiading, the eighty-one days of Jiangyin!

There were many reasons for this: incompetent emperors, the unchecked power of civil officials, rampant corruption, the withholding of military pay, natural and man-made disasters. Yet, combining his personal experiences with the deep analysis of what he had observed in the modern era, he concluded that the greatest reason was the loss of a shared goal capable of uniting the majority of people across all social strata.

Coincidentally, the northern "Polar Bear" he had learned about in the modern era—that once-vibrant behemoth—had also crumbled in an instant, and for the same reason: the loss of a common goal, leading to a restless populace and a total lack of cohesion.

Now that he had returned to the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, he needed to apply what he had gained, integrating it with the current realities of the Ming. By combining this with the iron-fisted methods of his previous life, he would make the Ming stronger. History had already proven that while some of his past methods were useful, many had failed. This time, starting anew, things had to change.

"This goal must encompass all strata of our Great Ming. We must identify the long-term aspirations of every class and give them concrete form. We shall use this to increase our cohesion and centripetal force, and to ignite a sense of ownership among the people. That is to say, every class must realize that this Great Ming is not just my Ming, nor just the property of the Zhu family. It belongs to everyone. Let them consciously protect and cherish it. Let them deeply realize that when the Great Ming flourishes, their own lives will improve, and when the Great Ming weakens, their lives will suffer accordingly. Let everyone understand: every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the nation!"

Ultimately, everyone would spontaneously protect the country. Once they discovered someone undermining the Great Ming, damaging the overall situation, or embezzling its wealth, it would incite the hostility of all classes.

"Although we have completed the expulsion of the barbarians, the restoration of China, and the unification of north and south, we have yet to achieve unity in thought and culture. The fissures remain, and they are exceptionally difficult to smooth over. Territorial unity alone is not enough; it is not secure. We must have unity in thought and culture as well. Only then can our China be forged into an unbreakable whole. To achieve this, a common goal is indispensable!"

Zhu Yuanzhang had spoken in one breath and, feeling thirsty, picked up his teacup to drink some warm water. Liu Bowen, however, stood frozen, having even forgotten to cough. He looked up at the Emperor, completely dazed.

Was this truly the same Emperor who had only begun his studies after rising to power, the one who constantly needed to consult others? Was this the same Emperor whom many self-righteous men secretly disparaged, believing him to be a man of no vision, forever just a cowherd? This speech, this depth of insight, this far-reaching vision—even he, one of the Four Talents of Jiangnan, could not compare! When had his Master reached such heights?

The Great Ming's common ideal? The Great Ming's common ideal! Splendid! It was truly magnificent! High-minded, visionary, and illuminating, it cleared away the clouds to reveal the sun! Although there were many new terms in the Emperor's speech that he had never heard before, that did not hinder his understanding. In fact, many of these new terms, while awkward at first, possessed an endless, lingering appeal upon reflection. Terms like "sense of ownership," "every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the nation," "cohesion," "centripetal force"... Liu Bowen was profoundly shaken!

"Cough, cough, cough..." An uncontrollable bout of coughing broke the silence of the Wuying Hall. The stunned Liu Bowen was startled back to his senses.

"Your Majesty's vision is far-reaching, and your words are deafening and enlightening. This minister has been well-taught!" Liu Bowen praised from the bottom of his heart and rose to bow deeply to Zhu Yuanzhang. This was no longer the bow of a subject to his sovereign, but the respectful greeting between scholars.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang's face. In his previous life, his attitude toward Liu Bowen had been conflicted. He admired Liu's scholarship and talent, and was grateful for his help, yet because Liu was so brilliant and learned, he had felt an unconscious sense of inferiority in his presence. He had felt that Liu was too arrogant, and that even when he knelt and kowtowed, in his heart, Liu still looked down on him as a mere cowherd.

But now, that inferiority was gone. In the modern era, he had been a properly educated man who had undergone a systematic, formal education, eventually becoming an associate professor at a young age. His academic qualifications were no longer inferior to Liu Bowen's. Furthermore, he possessed the knowledge of over six hundred years of history, having seen and personally experienced a modern life that no one in the Ming could possibly imagine. His horizons had been broadened beyond the constraints of his era. Even the legendary Liu Bowen, author of the *Shaobing Ge*, could not compare to that.

Therefore, when facing Liu Bowen now, that invisible inferiority had vanished, replaced by a surge of strong self-confidence. This was the fundamental reason for the change in his attitude.

"Then... what are the specific contents of this Great Ming's common ideal?" Liu Bowen asked sincerely, full of expectation.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head. "The matter is of great importance, and I have not yet finalized the details. This is the task I am entrusting to you, Master Liu. It must be rooted in reality, practical, simple to understand, and catchy—condensed into just a few short sentences. It must be at a level where even an old woman baking pancakes in a Shaanxi cave can understand it upon hearing it, and remember it after hearing it a few times."

The Emperor had not yet fully thought it out? And this task had fallen to him? Liu Bowen was stunned for a moment.

"I am honored to accept this, and I shall not shirk it!" Liu Bowen, who was often hesitant about many things, agreed with unusual decisiveness this time. He was already captivated by the vision of the Great Ming's common ideal and recognized it as a truly great undertaking. Once achieved, regardless of his reputation in history, the immense benefit to the Ming alone made it worth participating in! He would take pride in it!

"However, Your Majesty, this cannot merely hang in the air. Without corresponding actions, no matter how well it is stated, it will be nothing more than a reflection of flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water, failing to achieve the desired effect." Liu Bowen said with a slight hesitation.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with appreciation. Liu Bowen was truly worthy of his reputation; he had caught onto his line of thinking so quickly.

"Master Liu is right. There must be concrete actions to back it up!" He said, placing his hands behind his back and standing tall. "If in the future I cannot significantly improve the lives of the people and strengthen the power of the nation, then I, the founding emperor of the Great Ming, will have lived in vain! I might as well just bash my head against a wall and be done with it!"

Liu Bowen took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in his heart, and bowed solemnly to Zhu Yuanzhang again.

"The matter is of great importance; it requires careful deliberation. Take your time, there is no need to rush," Zhu Yuanzhang said, reaching out to support Liu Bowen. After saying this, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked at Liu Bowen and asked, "By the way, Master Liu, are you quite familiar with Luo Guanzhong?"