unclear

Chapter 841: Royal Selflessness

As the saying goes, good things come in pairs. In February, another piece of news appeared in the newspapers along with the fall of the Jin Dynasty and the return of Liaodong Town. The Tumed, Kharchin, and Khorchin tribes took the initiative to request to join the country.

The emperor was reluctant to leave his homeland, so he established the Inner Mongolia Special Region and handed it over to the Governor-General of Inner Mongolia, with its seat in Guihua City. The first Governor-General was the Cabinet Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe and the General Du Song.

Liaodong Town was changed to Liaoyang Province, with Jinzhou as its seat. Its jurisdiction extended to the sea in the east, the Great Wall of Korea in the south, and the border with the Khorchin tribe in the north. The three divisions were temporarily abolished, and the Northeast Division was stationed there, with the General Staff directly in charge of military administration.

The Mongolian tribes south of the desert were gone, and the Jurchens in Liaodong were gone. These two hats had weighed on the heads of the people and the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred years. Suddenly, they were taken off, and the government and the people felt relieved.

In addition to singing and dancing and celebrating enthusiastically, people should also remember the well-digger and express their highest respect to the creator, Emperor Jingyang, in various ways.

At this time, even those who firmly opposed the new policy and were irreconcilable with it could no longer find fault with it. No matter how dissatisfied they were, they had to endure it. All they heard all day was praises of how wise and powerful the emperor was. Apart from nodding in agreement, anyone who dared to say no would immediately become the target of public criticism.

Furthermore, many court officials jointly submitted a memorial, listing in detail the great achievements of Emperor Jingyang in the 17 years since he ascended the throne. They then quoted extensively, made comparisons, and made far-fetched inferences, trying their best to prove that they met the requirements of being the greatest emperor of all time and were qualified to be enthroned on Mount Tai.

"Forget about Mount Tai. It's tiring to climb it. I have only quelled some of the border troubles. It is far from a prosperous era with abundant harvests and peace and prosperity. It is enough to go to the Taimiao to comfort the ancestors. Let's not talk about Fengshan again.

Why do I say that it is part of the border troubles? Because it is not all. There are still troubles in the west and southwest. I cannot sleep well until they are resolved. It is said that you must first stabilize the internal situation before you can resist foreign aggression. If you don't sort out your own affairs, outsiders will take advantage of the situation.

No need to whisper, I am talking about the salt and tea law. Now that the horses are no longer in short supply, the salt and tea law should also be revised. I originally planned to discuss with you all how to revise it, but considering that you are all busy with official business and have no time to be distracted, I will simply do it for you.

Wang An, issue the new salt and tea laws. All officials, regardless of rank or position, must submit petitions within ten days. Don't mention the points you agree with, just write about the points you don't like, and be meaningful. If anyone fails to submit within the deadline, the Imperial Household Department will be responsible for urging them to do so. If they still fail to submit, the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guards will come to inspect their property!"

Faced with the tide of flattery, Hong Tao specially convened a grand court meeting and set the tone in front of hundreds of Beijing officials. Since you are all so idle, let's do something serious and give opinions on the new salt and tea law drafted by the emperor. Those who fail to give opinions or are pretentious will be severely punished!

"Wang An, you have had a bitter face since the court was adjourned. Did I make things difficult for you?" After returning to the Yangxin Palace after the court was adjourned, Hong Tao found that Wang An's face looked a little strange. He forced himself to review a few memorials, put down his pen and planned to ask him clearly.

"Your Majesty, I am not in a difficult situation. I am just worried about you." Wang An was indeed a little worried. When the emperor asked him about it in person, he quickly stood up and answered carefully.

"Tell me, where did I go wrong?"

"I dare not criticize His Majesty... but it is a bit inhumane to ask such harsh demands of the ministers. At present, His Majesty's reputation is far-reaching and powerful, and the ministers praise him unanimously. It is time to show him grace and win their hearts. The salt and tea law has a wide impact, so it is better to implement it slowly like the new policy."

Wang An said he dared not, but he did not hesitate at all and pointed out the emperor's mistakes at the grand court meeting. According to his idea, taking advantage of his rising popularity, he should ease the tense relationship with the court officials. Taking a small step back at this time would not only not appear weak, but would make it easier to gain more support. The emperor and the ministers should be in the same group. There should be a limit to the conflicts over the distribution of power and interests. They should not always confront each other. When will it end?

This new salt and tea law not only failed to ease the conflict, but also dealt a heavy blow. In addition to causing pain to many Beijing officials, it also affected the interests of more local officials. On the surface, it seemed like a good move, but in reality, the gains did not outweigh the losses.

Even if we really want to change, we shouldn't rush to do it across the board. If we can try it out in a small place first, like the new policy, and then slowly promote it, the effect will be slow, but it will be safer.

The emperor no longer needs political achievements to prove his ability. Even if he does nothing, the foundation laid over more than ten years can keep the government stable and no one dares to challenge him easily. At this time, he should seek progress while maintaining stability and be invincible in everything.

"Wang An, Wang An, you still can't get out of your original circle. Well, if you don't make a decision, you will suffer the consequences. I will hand over the seal to Cao Huachun and go to Nanjing to do something big for me. By the way, you can change and relax."

Is what Wang An said right? Generally speaking, it is right. The emperor and the officials are indeed one and the same, and they are all part of the ruling class. There are no irreconcilable class contradictions in nature, and dog-eat-dog conflicts due to uneven distribution of power and interests are only temporary.

But Hong Tao is not ordinary, nor does he think he is one with the officials. On the contrary, his appearance is to break the routine. Otherwise, why would he bother to continue the cycle of dynasty change?

However, it was a bit difficult to expect Wang An, who had been educated in Zhu Xi's Neo-Confucianism and Cheng Yi's philosophy since childhood, to accept and understand these new ideas. It was probably hopeless in this lifetime, and it would not be suitable for him to continue to serve as the important task of communicating between the inner and outer courts.

Sometimes his attitude would give the ministers the illusion that it was the emperor's will. In order to reduce misunderstandings, a new person must be replaced. It doesn't matter who it is, as long as he can faithfully convey his intentions.

After a few years, when he has the feeling of being in a superior position and has some ideas in his mind, he can be replaced by another one. If it can last for ten years, the kids on the Cuju team will have entered the golden period of their lives in terms of age and experience, and they can be replaced one after another.

Does this count as being ruthless and cold-hearted? Of course it does! When I was in the most difficult time, it was Wang An who stood firmly by my side and provided me with great help. It can be said that without his support, I probably wouldn't have achieved what I have today.

Should we do this? Of course we should. Didn't the ancients say that the royal family has no personal feelings? Being an emperor is a job, and like all jobs, it has its own professionalism and particularity. Selecting and employing people is the emperor's specialty.

Some emperors only choose those who can help maintain their power, some emperors only choose those who are understanding, and some emperors like to choose capable people. When it is their turn, they must raise the standards based on theirs. They must not only be helpful in maintaining power, but also be obedient and capable. None of these can be missing.

As for Wang An, he could only be merciful as much as possible on the basis of being ruthless. Just because he could not become the seal of the Imperial Household Department, it did not mean that his status and position would be completely reduced. He still had to continue to bear important responsibilities.

If he can think it through and let it go, and understand my painstaking efforts, my trust will not decrease, and he can still play a role by my side. Otherwise, I will have to step aside completely and find an easy job that doesn't get in the way and retire.

(End of this chapter)