Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 375 The Battle of Life and Death Has Just Begun

The emperor returned to the Forbidden City, and this time Empress Dowager Li personally went to the Meridian Gate to greet him.

The important officials only thought that this was because of the honorific title of Changshengtian Khan and his achievements in subduing the various tribes, as if the trust she had placed in Zhang Taiyue in the past had now fallen on her grandson.

This is of course inconsistent with the old system of the dynasty, but now that a wise monarch is in power, what does the old system matter?
Of course, only Zhu Changluo knew why.

Duke Dingguo, who accompanied the emperor when he left Beijing, presided over the emperor's longevity ceremony in Tongliao. After returning to Beijing, he also went to offer sacrifices like his grandfather did.

After entering the palace gate, one would go to the Fengxian Hall first. Even according to the old system, the emperor should go to the rear hall to pay respects after returning to the capital from a tour.

This time, Empress Dowager Li wanted to untie the knot in her heart.

Without further ado, he accompanied her back to the Cining Palace. In the Buddhist temple, Empress Dowager Li burst into tears, expressing both joy and sorrow.

"Grandmother, your health is the most important thing. This is your fate, so let it go." Zhu Changluo said softly, "Father, you are here... didn't you let it go too?"

"Good child, good emperor!" Empress Dowager Li nodded repeatedly and wiped her tearful eyes.

The disease may be difficult to cure, but she was the one who made the decision or contributed to the situation, despite the circumstances at the time.

Later, when her son was dying and had a moment of consciousness and was able to speak, he did not blame her.

But precisely because she didn't blame her, Empress Dowager Li naturally felt more guilty.

Fortunately, my grandson has already wiped out the Jiannu who seized the Ming Dynasty, and all the ethnic groups in the northern border have surrendered!
"Did the emperor see Nurhaci's head with his own eyes?" Empress Dowager Li pulled his hand.

"I saw it with my own eyes." Zhu Changluo nodded heavily, "Including him, many leaders of the Jianzhou rebels, and his two sons, one big and one small, have been beheaded! Now, the Duke of Fuguo has chased them all the way to Korea, and his second son can't escape in Korea. Although his eldest son fled from Ula City, now that the northern border has been pacified, they can't make any more waves!"

"The reward is huge, we must kill them all!"

After all, she was the ruthless person who issued an imperial decree to kill the son and daughter that Nurhaci had sent to the capital upon hearing the news of the rebellion. In the heart of Empress Dowager Li, with all the past, this matter was absolutely against her will.

Zhu Changluo laughed: "Now that my grandson has solved the great threat to the north, in another ten years, the Ming Dynasty will surely be completely renewed. Our ancestors... the spirit of my father in heaven has seen it all. Grandmother, please don't blame yourself too much."

After that, he became serious, stepped back two steps and bowed: "Grandmother, I have never forgotten your teachings that night!"

Empress Dowager Li was overwhelmed with emotion again. She nodded with tears in her eyes: "Get up quickly. It's really hard for you. The burden of the country is only carried by the emperor..."

"My grandson has been able to get to where he is today thanks to the unremitting support of my grandmother. I will never forget it. Let's talk about the kings..."

This is another thing that makes Empress Dowager Li happy now. Prince Lu is her other son, and the emperor has taken down the lineage of the Joseon ruler. Letting Prince Lu be the ruler of Joseon is also a way of returning a favor, right?

So she kept saying, "The emperor is revered as the Eternal Heavenly Khan by all ethnic groups. How will the nine frontiers be managed and the provinces be reformed? What else does the emperor need grandma's help with? Just tell me! While grandma is still here, I will definitely help you suppress the people you need to suppress!"

Zhu Changluo still cares about her feelings very much because Empress Dowager Li still has irreplaceable influence.

No matter how hard he tried, the old ideas and concepts were still the mainstream. Being good at filial piety meant that the emperor still had some humanity. In this way, some things could be done more smoothly.

Of course, Empress Dowager Li had a role to play, and that was with the royal family and noble relatives.

At this point, the time was certainly ripe for what Zhu Changluo wanted to do to the royal family and nobles.

"First of all, it is the study of the clan and the study of martial arts..."

Through the development of new land and the benefits of industry and commerce, Zhu Changluo was able to provide a new way out for the royal family members and relatives of the nobles, but this way out was not enough.

He has always had to resolve the situation where these people have to make the country pay more and more costs just because of their background.

For example, the imperial clan members now have their salaries paid directly by the Imperial Clan House. They don't need to do anything to receive this salary, they can just present their registration in the Imperial Clan House.

Although they could make up for a lot of the losses by concentrating their assets to create profits through Zongminghao and Changminghao, this principle has not changed.

Now Zhu Changluo is ready to change this principle.

Just like ten years ago, when he had not yet officially ascended the throne, he had to think of ways to get things done from the royal family and nobles; now that his prestige is high and he wants to officially move against the gentry, he also has to think of ways to get things done from the royal family and nobles first.

The grace of a gentleman will decline after three generations and be cut off after five generations. This is especially true for nobles and relatives, so why should the gentry as a whole be exempted from such privileges?
"...My grandson's idea is that no matter how it is passed down to the sixth generation, they will definitely have food to eat and a job to support their family through their hard work. I will leave this job for them. Before the fifth generation, the generation will be demoted one level, and only after examination can the successor be appointed. In addition, no matter which generation, as long as there is real talent, the court will select the virtuous and appoint them as officials."

The only people she talked about with Empress Dowager Li were members of the royal family and noble relatives.

The formal reform naturally did not start immediately, but after it officially started, Empress Dowager Li could help appease some people.

When she returned to the Qianqing Palace from the Cining Palace, all the concubines came to greet her. Yehenala Donggo was pregnant, and she was naturally tender and affectionate.

There were many new people in Chuxiu Palace. Ulanara Bushunda was first canonized as a concubine and placed in Fan Sirong Palace.

Zhu Changluo smiled as he watched Erzhuzi and other older sons and daughters surrounding Zhu Youjian and asking about what they had seen along the way.

Let's take a few days' rest first. It's really not comfortable along the way.

It is almost the end of September and the results of the provincial examinations have been announced. Next year will be another year of major examinations.

The capital was naturally filled with stories about the Ming Dynasty's mighty power over the grasslands and the emperor being revered as the Eternal Heavenly Khan. There was also discussion about the fact that Chengde Prefecture, Liaoning Province, and the nine borders were all compiled into civilian registers.

Before the first court meeting after returning to Beijing, Zhu Changluo only summoned the five ministers to question them about matters in various fields.

The one who bears the heaviest burden among them is actually Tianle.

After all, it involves the reform of border troops and towns in the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty.

This matter has been in preparation for a long time, and now it concerns the Executive Yuan.

"If we change the nationality, we must use the Yellow Book. If we check the military settlements and civilian fields in the nine frontiers, we must use the Fish Scale Book. If we still report to the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue, the longer the night, the more trouble we will have." Tian Le looked at the emperor, "Should we move the Yellow Book library to Beijing? If so, the six departments in Nanjing..."

Zhu Changluo had thought about these problems a long time ago, and at this time he just smiled and said, "There is a way to compromise and transition. It's not that it can't be done without sorting out the government offices in the two capitals first. First, change the name of the new warehouse and use a new system. Second, to preside over this matter, I will set up a special department under the Imperial Study to coordinate the various government offices."

"...New format?"

"That's right." Zhu Changluo took a deep breath. "For the sake of the future unified treasury and money system, for the sake of proper management in the future, for the sake of refining weights and measures, and for the sake of promoting the prosperity of various industries in the future, it is time to use a new system. New record specifications, new printing standards, and a new management system!"

The preparatory work done by Tian Le was to first prepare for the high-level personnel briefings in the nine borders, prepare the structure of the Public Security Bureau system, estimate the workload, and prepare the staff.

But these could be prepared separately, he couldn't do it, or he didn't think so much about it.

But for Zhu Changluo, this huge project certainly did not have to be as backward as it was in the early Ming Dynasty.

The country's "household registration books" and "land certificates" are all kept in Houhu Lake, Nanjing. Although each county also has a copy, their common feature is that they are only in the hands of government officials.

The numbers shall be based on the yellow book and fish scale atlas obtained from the government.

Zhu Changluo's tasks involved more than one thing. For example, if there was already a yellow book, why did the government need to issue another road permit?

It is easy to manage the population by fixing it in certain places, but it will also suppress its vitality. Although the technology is not particularly advanced at present, at least the printing industry is already good. Zhu Changluo set up the Sijing Bureau and Sibao Bureau in the Zhanshi Mansion, and he has not only let them do a good job of propaganda in these years.

Starting from the morning newspaper "Xueyong" and the national education policy's teaching materials system and private publishing, the capital city actually already had a fairly large printing industry.

In this case, give them a bigger market: every person, every field, house and shop in the Ming Dynasty should have their own copies of the certificate in the future.

Before taking action to exempt the gentry, Zhu Changluo first had to ensure that no one in the Ming Dynasty could hide their population or land.

The Public Security Bureau checked the household registration to find out more?
Not to mention this kind of repression, it is much better than the previous yamen runners who acted as they pleased and turned against the nobles. And such a huge empire must also be equipped with effective and meticulous management methods.

Ye Xianggao was overjoyed. The emperor had suppressed him for a while, but now he was finally given more power.

"Now that the important ministers have agreed on many new policies, the specific assistance and supervision will be placed in the New Policy Reform Department under the Imperial Study." Zhu Changluo looked at Ye Xianggao, "The chief minister will personally take charge of it, use memorials as a guide, and submit the progress of specific matters regularly."

Everything has returned to the rhythm that Zhu Changluo is familiar with. Now is the time when he has the final say.

Even though it would be much slower than what he was familiar with and the types of questions would be completely different, the structure would be there.

The Imperial Study is the place where the emperor's will is implemented, but nowadays the emperor will discuss many major policies with his important ministers first.

In front of Zhu Changluo, Xiao Daheng, Shen Li, Li Tingji, Ye Xianggao and Tian Le all felt that the emperor was different after his return this time.

And he became serious again.

"Stabilizing the northern border is only to make the Ming Dynasty have fewer external troubles in the future. Whether the Ming Dynasty can really be revived, whether it will end after a hundred years of my reign, the next battle will be a life-and-death battle!" Zhu Changluo looked at them with a solemn tone, "Reforming the old system and implementing new policies are what all monarchs and ministers who work hard for the country should do. The world's situation and human affairs are constantly changing, and the absolute law of the Ming Dynasty from now on is that it should always change with the times and not stick to the old system!"

"For this reason, the Central Government must be of one mind with the emperor and his subjects. Before deciding on how to change, it is a good thing to discuss and debate more. Once it is decided, it cannot be changed hastily. Even if I want to change it again, there must be checks and balances in the system, rather than relying entirely on the emperor's will. Although it has been so since ancient times, I will propose at this court meeting to establish a prime minister to take charge of civil affairs, and to add a new government office in addition to the one house and four courtyards to cope with the current changes in the situation!"

Everyone was shocked and looked at Zhu Changluo together.

"Taiyuegong was worshipped with my father first. I am thirsty for talents for the country, and I will not let down the ministers who are willing to serve the country with the same heart." Zhu Changluo stood up and bowed to them, "You should work together with me and follow me!"

It’s begun, it’s really begun.

The current emperor returned with the honorific title of Eternal Heavenly Khan. He visited the Taimiao and Fengxian Hall, suppressed the anger of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, and decided to formally establish this prime minister who is actually second only to the emperor.

His name is Zaizhi.

Among the people in front of him, Xiao Daheng, Shen Li, and Li Tingji are all very old, Tian Le will not be a candidate, and Ye Xianggao is closest to this position.

But is he willing? He was afraid of trouble before, so he tried every means to stay in Jinxianyuan.

Now... the situation seems to be different. After all, the Ming Dynasty has won such a great victory. The brave generals and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty are now extremely loyal and brave, and the emperor has unparalleled prestige.

If you think about it carefully, it doesn't seem that dangerous.

So after Tian Le spoke first, everyone immediately agreed.

"Your Majesty has great ambitions, and I am willing to follow in his footsteps!"

"Okay!" Zhu Changluo clapped his hands and laughed, "Then let the wind start blowing!"

Of course it’s the wind, strong wind!
The Ming Dynasty will establish a prime minister, and a new government office will be added to the central government. Liaoning Province and Chengde Prefecture will be new systems, and the entire Ming Dynasty will change in the future.

This involves more detailed planning of official ranks and positions, and is an unprecedented great opportunity.

Of course it is also a big crisis.

The Ming Dynasty will never lack people who are willing to follow in its footsteps.

So it depends on which side's wind prevails over which side's wind.

Let’s start with a blood transfusion.

The Imperial College has been running for many years. This year is the first provincial examination under the new examination system, and next year will be the second metropolitan and palace examinations under the new examination system. The teenagers and young men who began to feel the new trend since the 28th year of Wanli and the first year of Taichang have now grown up a lot.

They should come out in droves.

This was a long preparation. The prelude had already alarmed too many people, but this was the moment when the curtain was raised and the show began.

It’s about to be trivial and bloody.

Zhu Changluo was of course well aware of how many people's souls would be touched by real change, and he had been preparing for this for ten years.

During the past ten years, many old ministers were still retained in the court, and they took steps step by step to reach this point.

It may take another ten years to see the real effect.

He had to build a team that he could truly trust to promote the new policies, just as Zhu Yijun trusted Zhang Juzheng at the time.

But Empress Dowager Li and Zhu Yijun had to trust Zhang Juzheng because one was a woman and the other was a young emperor.

Zhu Changluo is different. He just has a job that no one else can replace.

His job is to improve the technical level and help this transformation to succeed. He is the leader, but his greater role is to play a supporting role.

Only by finding ways to make the change an ever-expanding increment can the change be truly successful.

When it comes to creating incremental growth, even the best ministers of this era would find it difficult to do better than him.

After all, he had technological innovation in one hand and the huge assets of his royal family and nobles in the other. His eyes were open to the wider world and his mind was full of well-tested cases from later generations.

Now he was working hard to create a situation where there was no need for a future prime minister comparable to Zhang Juzheng.

He just needs to be a tank, able to withstand damage, and push forward with determination.

Or...tied in the wild area?

Of course, the bigger challenge for Zhu Changluo is inheritance.

At night, he was looking at the stars again.

Zhu Youjian was very surprised: "Father, after returning from the grassland, you seem to like looking at the stars very much."

"I like to watch it too! I'm at Big Beard's place using his big telescope!" Zhu Youzhu was also there, and he was much more lively.

Zhu Changluo smiled and asked him, "Oh? Erzhuzi, what did you figure out?"

(End of this chapter)