[Lightscreen]
[Yet looking back now, the emergence of simplified games like touhu and chuiwan actually marked a society becoming more stable. People's spiritual and recreational needs had begun to grow. From that perspective, it was undoubtedly a good thing.
However, as we have said before, feudal societies are extremely prone to the principle that those below imitate those above. Once the emperor develops a preference for something, officials and commoners will inevitably follow suit and turn it into a trend.
Take the Tang dynasty as an example. The emperor might not necessarily have had such awareness, but Emperor Xuanzong personally promoting polo objectively encouraged the martial spirit of the Tang.
Of course, the fact that the martial spirit later went a bit too far is another matter.
Therefore, the issue with the Enjoyments of Emperor Xuanzong of Ming painting is exactly what we mentioned at the beginning. The games enjoyed by the Xuande Emperor had their competitive nature greatly weakened, leaving only their aspect of amusement. For the Ming dynasty, they truly brought little positive effect.
But then again, everyone knows that the Xuande Emperor was already the fifth, or perhaps the fourth, emperor of the Ming dynasty. Living within history, he inevitably followed the inertia of his era.
Thus, if one speaks of influencing the atmosphere of the Ming dynasty, the Xuande Emperor certainly cannot shoulder that burden alone.
As we said earlier, because feudal societies are so prone to imitation from top to bottom, the person who truly set the tone of the Ming dynasty was naturally Zhu Hongwu.
And when speaking of the events during the Hongwu era that had enormous political influence, there is almost no need to hesitate. These are also the main topic of today.
The Four Great Cases of the Hongwu Reign.]
---
Inside Guangzheng Hall, Zhao Kuangyin gently pressed a hand on the shoulder of the son beside him.
"Do you understand?"
Zhao Dezhao hesitated for a moment before carefully replying in a low voice,
"Your son will go practice polo this afternoon?"
At once Zhao Dezhao saw his father's right hand grasp the jade axe.
He hurriedly corrected himself.
"Your son will never play touhu again. I will practice archery every day to discipline myself!"
The jade axe that Zhao Kuangyin had drawn out was rubbed thoughtfully for a moment under Zhao Dezhao's terrified gaze and Zhao Guangyi's expectant eyes before being slowly returned to its place.
In truth, Zhao Kuangyin's mindset was rather relaxed.
After all, the crown prince had been chosen by himself. From the scattered records of later generations, this son possessed martial spirit and also observed the conduct of a gentleman.
Moreover, now that he had learned of the affairs of the Hongwu Emperor, Zhao Kuangyin often reflected upon himself, striving not to be overly harsh in educating the heir.
Later generations had already made it clear that the Hongwu Emperor rose from humble origins and was a once in ten thousand sort of man. The death of his crown prince also involved, to some degree, the severity of the expectations placed upon him.
Looking at it from another angle, Zhao Kuangyin himself had risen from the ranks of the military. He had experienced countless battles and worldly affairs before reaching where he was today.
Dezhao had left the inner palace eleven years ago, yet because Zhao Kuangyin had once hesitated over the choice of crown prince, he had spent nine years lingering in the post of Defense Commissioner of Guizhou. His experience was therefore insufficient, and it was not appropriate to discipline him too harshly.
Thus, under Zhao Guangyi's disappointed gaze, Zhao Kuangyin shook his head and restrained his temper.
"What I want you to remember are these four words. As those above act, so do those below."
"As those above act?"
"Indeed. When those above do something, those below imitate it. This is the principle of instruction and also the path to ordering a state."
At this point a strange smile appeared on Zhao Kuangyin's face.
He recalled the Tang dynasty's famous Xuanwu Gate incident often joked about by later generations. He also remembered how later historians accused him of bullying an orphan and a widow.
But in the end he only shook his head, rose, and slowly said,
"For a ruler, playing polo is acceptable. Not playing polo is also acceptable. Just as Emperor Wu of Han was not himself skilled in battlefield command, yet he could still vigorously promote martial affairs."
"You must listen carefully when later generations casually discuss polo. Hidden within their words is the implication that the Son of Heaven must pay attention to horse administration."
He paused briefly, then corrected himself.
"No, it is not even hidden. The descendants spoke very clearly. Horses are, for people of our time, the only means of transportation and a strategic resource."
The term used by later generations sounded somewhat awkward, but Zhao Dezhao listened with equal seriousness.
Then he saw his father pacing before suddenly raising a hand and pointing toward his bald uncle.
"For example, according to the records of later generations, when Guangyi became emperor, after the defeat at Gaoliang River he angrily killed you. Later, after failing again in the northern campaign, he shifted the blame onto Guohua."
Monk Kongjiong immediately lowered his head and did not dare meet his nephew's eyes.
Yet he clearly heard the soft sigh from Zhao Dezhao, and for a moment his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Qian Chu and Li Yu, who rarely heard of this matter, reacted differently.
Qian Chu's eyebrows nearly shot upward. He stared at the monk's bald head and almost wanted to grab him and ask for details.
Li Yu instinctively turned his head toward Cao Bin, the general who had destroyed his Southern Tang.
But looking from the side, Cao Bin's expression was calm and unmoved. It was clear he had long known of the matter.
The chancellor Zhao Pu could only smile bitterly.
Meanwhile Zhao Kuangyin remained completely calm, showing little emotion as he spoke of these events.
"When martial strength declines to such a degree, literary culture will inevitably dominate discussion of military affairs. Though they constantly speak of the ambitions of Han and Tang, their actions suppress the military at every turn. Territory gradually retreats southward, growing ever farther from the extent of Han and Tang."
"Guangyi was like this. Thus my Song... became like this as well."
At this moment Guangzheng Hall was so silent that a falling needle could be heard.
Zhao Dezhao sensed the confusion and regret in his father's words.
After all, it was already the tenth month of the eighth year of Kaibao. According to later generations, the day of his father's death was less than a year away.
So he stepped forward slightly and said,
"Your son understands. I will not allow indulgence in pleasures to overshadow affairs of state. I will cultivate both civil and military governance and never forget the grand unity achieved by Han and Tang."
---
The noisy atmosphere inside Huagai Hall gradually subsided.
The princes returned to their seats one by one, each letting out a breath of relief as they watched their father pull his chair a little closer to their mother so he could speak quietly with her.
At times like this, their father usually turned a blind eye to them, so the princes of Ming relaxed somewhat.
Zhu Biao, however, remained attentive. Watching the screen discuss the connections among various games, he found the explanation unexpectedly enlightening.
Then his gaze fell upon the phrase repeatedly emphasized by later generations.
"As those above act, so do those below?"
A lively voice suddenly interrupted.
"What is difficult about that? For example, elder brother sees how Father governs the state and imitates him. In the end he works so hard that he refuses even to complain when exhausted. See what that leads to..."
The second and third brothers had never cared much about state affairs. The fifth was obsessed with literary pursuits. The sixth probably did not fully understand it.
The only one who could speak like that was naturally the fourth brother.
Zhu Biao smiled and shook his head. He felt he could not really blame himself.
After all, he had never personally observed how other emperors ruled. He had assumed every ruler needed such boundless energy. Who would have thought that even later generations found their father's vigor astonishing?
So he simply changed the subject and asked his fourth brother,
"Between polo and chuiwan, which is better?"
"Both are good."
Zhu Di shook his head, speaking with clear logic.
"They already said it. When the world is peaceful, people naturally begin seeking spiritual... well, entertainment. Once granaries are full, people think of amusement. It is the same reason that storytellers find no audience during chaotic times."
"The meaning from later generations is clear. Chuiwan and touhu are not bad things. One cannot force women and children to play polo for amusement."
"On the other hand, if strong men only indulge in chuiwan and touhu and never play polo or draw powerful bows, that would indeed be a problem."
"So if you become emperor one day, elder brother..."
A smile appeared on Zhu Di's face.
"Encourage military games but do not forbid entertainment."
Zhu Biao had been quite satisfied while listening, since his fourth brother's thoughts matched his own perfectly.
But hearing the mention of becoming emperor stirred complicated feelings within him.
If he safely inherited his father's realm, would he truly surpass the Yongle Emperor who came to power through the Jingnan Campaign?
While the two brothers were discussing, Zhu Yuanzhang finished calming his wife.
He lifted his head.
"The Four Great Cases?"