Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 403: Mu Family's Past and Bright Future
Today, whether people are going to Hunan or Beijing, or people from Huguang and South Zhili are going to Guangzhou, they no longer take the Lingqu Canal.

Along the Beijiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River, northeast of Shaozhou, you can reach the Ganjiang River in Jiangxi through Meiguan Road. Combined water and land transportation makes the journey shorter.

After all, the two cores of the Ming Dynasty were already in the northeast of Guangzhou, not Chang'an and Luoyang during the Qin, Han and Tang dynasties.

But this time, the emperor chose to take the Lingqu Canal, passing through Guangxi and then to Guangdong.

What is even more intriguing is that both generations of Dukes of Qian were summoned to Guilin Prefecture, and then traveled with the imperial carriage via the Lijiang River and the Xijiang River to Guangzhou.

Guilin's landscape is the best in the world. After Zhu Changluo crossed the Lingqu Canal, he passed through Lingchuan County and arrived at Lingui County, where the Guilin Prefecture is located. The next stop was Yangshuo.

What Zhu Changluo is currently interested in is the accents of the Mu family father and son and the accents of the local officials in Guangxi.

"After crossing the Huai River, the Jiangnan area has its own Wu dialect. In Wuchang and Changsha, it is very different. In Guangxi, there is another flavor. As for Guangdong..."

He smiled but said nothing. The others didn't know what the emperor was so happy about. Mu Changzuo, who had the highest status, could only say, "The territory of the Great Ming is vast, and the people are numerous. Although they all have their own customs and dialects, they all obey the king's rule. Wherever your majesty goes, everyone is respectful and sincere, and welcomes the true dragon emperor."

"The southwest is not peaceful. I know that the Bozhou Rebellion is not far away." Zhu Changluo waved his hand. "Fortunately, the Duke of Qian has guarded the southwest for generations, and there are countless officials appointed by the court who are not afraid of the high mountains and long roads and the fierce folk customs. Only then can Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi be generally loyal to the court."

"I dare not..."

As soon as Mu Changzuo opened his mouth, Zhu Changluo said, "Old Duke, I was just feeling emotional at the moment, there is no deep meaning."

After saying that, he looked at the local officials of Guilin and said, "I saw it when I passed Lingqu Canal. The project is well built, and the daily maintenance is also thanks to the people of Guilin. You can go back and continue your work and manage Guilin well. Since I am going to Guangdong from Yongzhou Prefecture via Guangxi, it means that the court will need Guangxi to do a lot of things in the future."

"Your Highness, I will obey your command. Your Highness, I will take your leave."

They were of course relieved and happy to receive a word of praise from the emperor and now they could leave first.

After they all left, Zhu Changluo ordered, "Let's go, Old Duke, Mu Rui, you stay on the dragon boat and talk to me."

Hence, only two generations of Dukes of Qian accompanied the emperor with trepidation.

Once here, if we just keep on traveling, we will reach Guangzhou in a few days.

But the emperor does not need to hurry, the boat travels slowly. Before autumn comes, rainstorms are common. When the emperor travels, safety is the most important thing, but comfort is also very important.

Although the ship was moving steadily, Mu Changzuo and his son were feeling anxious.

"Duke Fuguo Liu Jing, I've complained a lot about you not being willing to work harder." Zhu Changluo sat down and took a sip of tea, then looked at Mu Rui, "The old Duke gave the dukedom to you first. Although you have been very active in Changminghao and other matters, many chieftains in Yunnan still respect the Duke of Qian."

There were eunuchs and palace maids waving fans to make the ship more ventilated and cooler, but Mu Rui felt it was a bit too chilly.

He glanced at his father, his lips trembled twice and he didn't know what to say.

Mu Changzuo stood up tremblingly and bent down: "I have failed to educate my son, and my son is incompetent. I have failed your majesty's trust..."

Zhu Changluo looked at him for a while, put down his teacup, stood up, walked over to support him and complained: "Old Duke! I have just appointed Liu Jing as Duke Fuguo to guard the Northeast forever. Am I a narrow-minded monarch? I summoned you and your son to come together to Guangdong. We want to have a heart-to-heart talk and discuss future plans together! Don't I know the worries of the Mu family?"

After forcing him to sit down, Zhu Changluo walked back and sat down while talking: "There are many mountains and rivers. It is very far from Beijing to Yunnan. The history books clearly record it. You are naturally afraid of being involved in a serious crime at any time. What's more, your father has such an old age? It's like the old Duke, who is in good health, but he must look so old and frail in front of me."

He sighed deeply: "Your father went too far. I'm sure that even if Grandpa Emperor is well-intentioned, he can't disrupt the laws of the court."

Mu Changzuo lowered his head and said: A son should not speak of his father's faults.

Zhu Changluo also looked at the Duke of Qian and his son in front of him.

In the Ming Dynasty, the family of the Duke of Qian was extremely special. To some extent, in addition to hereditary rights, they also had real territory and the right to govern.

But after all, it was no longer the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and the Ming Dynasty's system of governors and governors in Yunnan was the basis for the firm control of Yunnan. The actual power of the Mu family often came from the generals appointed to guard Yunnan and other places and other temporary imperial orders.

Their family's permanent presence in Yunnan was not an institutional authority that had been clearly defined long ago, but an inertia based on the trust of the royal family.

But during the Jiajing period, a huge rift appeared in the relationship between the royal family and the Mu family.

In the 26th year of Jiajing, Mu Chaofu died, and his son was only four years old. Therefore, although it was Mu Chaofu's son who succeeded the Duke, the court appointed Mu Chaobi as the deputy governor to guard Yunnan in place of his nephew.

In the 28th year of the Jiajing reign, Mu Chaobi's six-year-old nephew died again. According to the rules, his other nephew inherited the title. Afterwards, Mu Chaobi's mother asked Emperor Jiajing to send the young grandson who was to inherit the title to live in Beijing first, but the young grandson died of a sudden illness.

In short, Mu Chaobi inherited the title of Duke of Qian in the 33rd year of Jiajing.

Mu Chaobi suppressed the rebellion of Yuanjiang Prefecture Tusi Najian and had other military achievements in capturing rebels, which actually helped the court. However, in the 44th year of Jiajing, Mu Chaobi was still impeached for being arrogant and harming the people, being unfilial to his mother, raping his sister-in-law, and seizing his brother's land and house.

The Jiajing Emperor only gave him a slight punishment, and "ordered the governor to escort his stepmother, Mrs. Li, and his sister-in-law, Mrs. Chen, to Nanjing and give them property for their support."

But Mu Chaobi detained his mother and sister-in-law and refused to let them leave.

The key point is that Mu Chaobi did something that the court could not tolerate: he sent people to the capital with a fire token to mobilize troops to spy on the court's reaction.

At that time, the Jiajing Emperor passed away and the new emperor ascended the throne. There were many things to do in the court. When the court situation was more stable, this matter was naturally brought up. "The Duke of Qian, Mu Chaobi, was cruel and unkind, violent and immoral, and disobeyed the imperial order. He detained his mother and sister-in-law, refused to send away the evil party Jiang Xu, etc., and refused to accept the judgment. He also used the mobilization of troops to send people to spy on the capital. He was asked to be punished for the crime of disobeying the order. The assistants who committed treason and those who spied on the capital were arrested and interrogated according to the law. His mobilization of troops from Sichuan and Guizhou was added to the governor's edict to slightly curb his treason. The Ministry of War replied with a respectful opinion and agreed to it." In fact, the biggest impact of this case was that the power of the Duke of Qian to mobilize troops from other provinces to suppress the chieftains of Yunnan, which had always been the responsibility of the Duke of Qian, was handed over to the governor of Yunnan.

Therefore, from then on, Mu Changzuo, who succeeded the Duke of Qian, not only witnessed the end of his father being imprisoned and died in Nanjing, but also felt the emperor and court officials' fear of the Mu family's power.

Yunnan is indeed still inseparable from the Mu family as if by inertia, but it is not inseparable from the Duke of Qian.

So after he had made some military achievements, he retired early due to illness and gave his position to his son.

"It's lonely at the top." Zhu Changluo sighed as he looked at Mu Changzuo. "Old Duke, I was like this in Ming Dynasty; the Mu family was also like this in Yunnan. Your father had that kind of personality, which led to many things that happened later. There is no need to go into details now. But this knot must be untied. I think we can only look to the future."

Mu Changzuo stood up again and said, "My father broke the law, but thanks to the emperor's grace, he was not sentenced to death, nor was his title of Duke of Qian taken away. The Mu family is grateful for the emperor's mercy. If your majesty has any orders, even though I am old, my sons, grandsons, and other children of the Mu family are willing to die for you."

"You are in Yunnan, and I am in Beijing. The only people we can deal with are some memorials and memorials." Zhu Changluo smiled, "It's still a long way to Guangzhou, let's talk slowly."

While sailing on the Li River, Zhu Changluo began to talk only about the achievements of the Mu family.

The Mu family certainly deserves credit.

Although the Yunnan-Guizhou region was ruled by the imperial court during the Han Dynasty, it was actually independent during the Jin Dynasty. Even a powerful Tang Dynasty could not do much to Nanzhao. As for the Zhao Song Dynasty, it had no way to deal with Dali.

This was a very long period of time. Before the Ming Dynasty destroyed Dali, the local government here had lasted for hundreds or even thousands of years.

It was the immigration and reclamation of the Ming Dynasty's garrisons and the continuous suppression of local chieftain rebellions by the Qian Duke lineage that allowed the Ming Dynasty to bring Yunnan under the direct management of its bureaucratic system.

"For generations, the contribution to naturalization has been greater in Yunnan and Guizhou. The stability of Yunnan and Guizhou today is inseparable from the contributions of the Mu family." Zhu Changluo told them his own views, "I am not looking at the gains and losses of the emperor and his ministers in one dynasty, I am looking at the long-term foundation of China. Without the military power of the court represented by the Mu family, the education and naturalization of civil officials in Yunnan would be out of the question. Hundreds and thousands of years later, the Mu family will surely be remembered forever in the history books and among the people. When Taizu led a group of heroes to drive out the Tartars and rebuild China, the Mu family guarded and naturalized Yunnan and Guizhou for generations. By then, how much will the reputation of the Mu family be inferior to that of the Zhu family?"

Mu Changzuo had been listening for so long, and all he heard was the emperor's recognition of the Mu family's contributions, even elevating them to the level of a foundation that had lasted for ten thousand years.

He thought about the life he had experienced for most of his life, as well as some of the teachings and past events passed down from generation to generation in his family, and he was a little absent-minded for a moment.

"…Your Majesty has a broad mind and looks down upon the ages. I am ashamed to say that I have no virtue or ability…"

He still said so, but Zhu Changluo smiled and said: "I said what is in my heart. Old Duke, there is no need to belittle yourself, and you must not hide your incompetence and waste your time."

Mu Changzuo looked at him, and Zhu Changluo sighed: "There are indeed many stories in history books about the fear of the disaster of the feudal lords and the fear of meritorious officials and generals holding their own troops. Therefore, I set up the Privy Council. The army must be aloof, it is the last and most violent means of the country. I let civil officials with strategic strategies enter the Privy Council, from now on, I want to change the method and thinking of civil officials in all dynasties to control the military with civil officials."

He went on to say: "The military is so violent and so important that it cannot act arbitrarily. But checks and balances must be in place, and the military must have a corresponding transcendent status. I have worked hard for the eternal foundation of China, not just for the Ming Dynasty. It is important to break away from the rut of excessive control of the military by the civil service and try a new system. There are a lot of things to do and explore in the relationship between the military and the country, the relationship between the military and the court, and the relationship between the military and the people."

Mu Changzuo saw the emperor looking at him with a smile, his expression was earnest: "Those are the affairs of the civil officials in the Privy Council. As for the meritorious officials and military generals, they should have their due fame, wealth and honor. The court and the people should respect the soldiers' efforts in protecting the country and the people, and in shedding blood and making sacrifices. As for expanding the territory and striving for the best of the country, that is what I and the important officials in the court should take the initiative to plan, so as to pass it on to future generations and for future use."

"minister……"

Mu Changzuo was about to speak but stopped himself, but Zhu Changluo said something straightforward that shocked him and his son.

"With the merits of the Mu family, they are worthy of being crowned kings!" Zhu Changluo looked at the father and son. "With the vastness of Outer Yunnan, we can intimidate Burma in the west and control Annan in the east. Looking south, Ayutthaya dare not act rashly. The most important thing is that those places could have been subjugated to the king, and Annan is an example. Now, the Western barbarians have gone there. Instead of letting the Western barbarians enslave and plunder there, why doesn't the king's army save the people of Outer Yunnan and the Nanyang vassal states from being in dire straits?"

Mu Changzuo was still shocked by the word "king". He knew that the emperor was referring to the areas of Mengyang, Cheli, Laos and Babai Dadian.

Today, Toungoo has swallowed up Burma, Laos and Babiya. Although the original nobles still exist, the military power is so strong that the original nobles are no longer in charge. In fact, they have to face Toungoo in the west and Ayutthaya in the south.

In other words, Annan is still in a confrontation between the North and the South. If Annan is unified, they will be enemies on three sides.

Toungoo was not without ideas about the Ming Dynasty. In recent years, it has tried to probe the Ming Dynasty many times. Previously, Liu Jing was promoted from earl to marquis because he repelled another attempt by Toungoo and Myanmar.

"Returning to Guangzhou is an opportunity." Zhu Changluo said calmly, "Although the Toungoo are rampant, since the Ming Dynasty still recognizes the three Xuans and six Weis, if they want to come and see the Ming Dynasty's attitude, or even get some benefits through tribute trade, they can only send out the original three Xuans and six Weis. Even if these people are under their control, they can arrange a secret meeting in the Ming Dynasty. Old Duke, are you willing to make another special contribution?"

His eyes were calm and firm. "Over the past ten years, I have conferred titles on Duke Ning, Duke Jing, Duke Fu, and Prince Lu as the King of Joseon. In the era of great strife, the old Duke said that I looked down upon the ages. So, in this prosperous era that is planning to establish the foundation of China for eternity, will the old Duke's blood cool down?"

"Your Majesty, if you have any orders, the Mu family will die for you to repay the emperor's grace!"

"It's not the emperor's grace, it's a cause!"

Zhu Changluo stood up, walked over and held his hands.

Mu Changzuo stood up quickly, and his son also stood up hurriedly, at a loss as to what to do.

"The local accent is not a problem, but the styles of different places are different. But with the long history and prosperity of our Chinese civilization, it's good that we can all be in the big family of China. The rest will be left to time." Zhu Changluo looked at him, "This is a cause that requires the monarch and his subjects to complete with one heart. If this great cause is accomplished, even if there are conflicts between the royal family and the vassal states in the future, as long as this root is there, it will naturally bear fruit in the future! The lands where the sun and the moon shine don't have to be glorious; but wherever the rivers flow, there should be people who are willing to pay attention to the Chinese civilization!"

If there is no exploration, there will be no fruits.

Zhu Changluo has a living example in his memory. One continent, two continents... There are migrants who planted seeds. Two or three hundred years later, it is not the empire that truly never sets, but the race and culture. In the end, people of the same origin can always form a closer relationship.

This is enough.

Why can’t the Ming Dynasty do this?

(End of this chapter)