Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 597 Epilogue: Long Yong's Death
"Indeed! The imperial system has made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty in the past!"

"But now is a new era! And we must seek a new way out!"

"Republic!"

"This is the new thinking of the Ming Dynasty!!"

On the tenth day of the second month of the fortieth year of the Hongguang reign, in a classroom at Nanjing University, a so-called professor was passionately lecturing on his own ideas and opinions at the podium.

Below the stage, more than a hundred students aged 17 or 18 were listening attentively. Some of them had been brainwashed, while others frowned secretly and did not agree with such ideas.

A young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes and a somewhat "rustic" appearance was also listening attentively, but while taking notes, he refuted the "republican ideas" mentioned by the professor on the stage one by one.

This scene was seen by another young man sitting next to him.

Compared to the rustic young man, this young man has a handsome and noble appearance, fair skin, and obviously comes from a more noble family.

“Therefore, the republic we advocate is based on a nominal monarch, not an abolished monarch!”

"The king is just a title. He has no power over the public. The one who really holds power should be someone like the Prime Minister or the Chancellor!"

"This kind of existence requires a term of office, and my proposal is a five-year term."

"This kind of power holder needs to be selected by the public through voting, rather than the powerful class choosing their own people."

"Only in this way can we elect a politician that the people need!"

On the podium, the professor spoke in an excited tone, and a student raised his hand. At the professor's signal, he stood up and asked:
"Professor Chen, how can we realize such a system? How can we implement the system you want?"

"It's simple, let's talk!"

Professor Chen raised his hand and said, "Twenty years ago, the emperor lost control of the government, and the powerful began to control public opinion, and through one thing after another, they made the public believe that the emperor still held power."

"Mr. Voltaire, the great thinker and philosopher of Francia, was expelled and returned to his hometown of Francia precisely because of the guidance of public opinion by a group of so-called thinkers in the country."

"After this, His Majesty the Emperor began to express his powerlessness at the middle and lower levels by not attending court."

"Five years ago, the public learned the real situation as a group of truly conscientious thinkers exposed it."

"To control public opinion is to control the public's thoughts. According to Mr. Gu Yanwu's thoughts during his lifetime, the imperial system will gradually decline over time, and the powerful and capital will begin to take the stage."

"Of course, if the imperial system had not declined, the person sitting in that chair would not let go easily."

"This is a great opportunity. We can use the fact that the imperial power has fallen to others to establish cooperation with His Majesty the Emperor, overthrow the capitalists and dignitaries who are exploiting us, and create a new system, a society without cannibalism!"

As soon as Professor Chen finished speaking, thunderous applause broke out from the audience, and amid the applause, he continued to paint a blueprint for the new system for the students.

The bell rang for the end of get out of class, and Professor Chen walked down from the podium and out of the classroom with a self-satisfied smile.

After he left, the students also left the classroom in groups of three or five.

The rustic young man organized the notes in his hand and stood up after most people left.

Only then did he realize that his noble deskmate seemed to have been waiting for him.

"Hello, my name is Hu Su, I'm from Beijing, I'm under the age of 18 and I don't have a courtesy name yet, so just call me by my real name."

Hu Su, with a noble look on his face, bowed to the rustic young man. The rustic young man also put down his notes and bowed politely, saying:

"Hello, my name is Li Mao, I'm from Huguang, and I'm still underage. You can just call me by my real name."

"Okay!" Hu Su nodded with a smile, his eyes sparkling. "I saw you taking notes just now. Do you mind talking while we walk?"

"I don't mind. You don't have to be so polite when you call me that."

Li Meng nodded upon hearing this and walked out with Hu Su.

The two walked out of the teaching building, came to the garden outside the teaching building, and walked towards the cafeteria.

"I saw you taking notes just now, but you don't seem to agree with what Professor Chen said?"

As Hu Su was talking, Li Meng also explained: "I agree with most of it, but I think a few parts are idealistic."

"Can you tell me about it?" Hu Su was very curious. Although Li Meng looked a bit rustic, he explained confidently:
"What Professor Chen said is very true. You can dethrone the emperor, but you must never abolish him."

"There are 78 vassal kings and 276 county kings in the Ming Dynasty. Although it may not seem like a lot, the number of their guards is still several hundred, and the total number can reach 70,000 to 80,000."

"If we add the four kings of the west, the royal family's military strength would be around 130,000."

"These 130,000 people may be guards in normal times, but they may be officers in wartime."

"Didn't King Zhu Youji of Song start out as a soldier with only two officers from the imperial guards during the Song Xiang Rebellion and directly mobilize 100,000 soldiers and horses?"

"The princes have their own small arsenals, plus they all have large farms and their own money bags. So according to this ratio, as long as the royal family has enough money and food, it is not a problem to mobilize a million troops. And there is no shortage of royalists among the people."

"That's all?" Hu Su was a little disappointed. After all, the royal family issue was not a big problem at the moment.

"Of course it's more than that!"

Li Meng smiled and walked into the cafeteria with Hu Su.

They lined up to get their meals. Today's cafeteria lunch consisted of rice, two meat dishes, one vegetable dish and a soup.

Li Meng sat back down with the plate in his hand. He nodded and asked Hu Su to look at the plate. He said:

"The Ming Dynasty was different from other dynasties and kingdoms. Starting from Emperor Taizong, the imperial court had already started to pay for people to study, and it was even more so during the reign of Emperor Shiwu."

"Later, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, the imperial court made elementary and middle school education compulsory for ten years, and the annual investment in education accounted for about 20% of the fiscal expenditure. For this reason alone, the people had to remember the kindness of the imperial family, not to mention the great famine a hundred years ago."

"Everyone is advocating the abolition of the monarchy simply because they feel unfair and need to vent. If the monarchy is really abolished and the royal family is also abolished, then these people who clamor for the abolition of the monarch will clamor for the establishment of the royal family. This is why the monarchy is abolished but not the monarch."

"Hmm..." Hearing this, Hu Su also showed an expression of agreement, and then continued to ask:
"This is why you agree with some of Professor Chen's views. What are the views that you disagree with Professor Chen?"

"This..." Li Meng made a gun gesture, which made Hu Su's pupils shrink.

"Emperor Shiwu once said something very well... political power grows out of the barrel of a gun!"

Li Meng continued, "The army is now in their hands. They can overthrow the monarchy, but they will never form a republic with the people. They will not hand over power to the people, but will hold it firmly in their own hands."

"If we can't take power into our own hands, we won't be able to change the current problems. Even if we abolish the imperial system, the new situation that everyone hopes for won't emerge. It will just be a change of name but not substance."

"Professor Chen said we can talk, but we are not qualified to talk at all because our fists are not strong enough and they will not take us seriously."

Hu Su deeply agreed with Li Meng's words. He leaned forward and asked, "According to you, we are doomed to fail?"

"No! We will not fail!" Li Meng said firmly:

"They will not let their children serve as soldiers or clerks. These positions will eventually be filled by the sons of the people. This is our opportunity."

"Don't they know?" Hu Su asked.

"They know, but they are not willing to hand over power to this grassroots group of people, and they can't let their children participate in it."

Li Meng put down his chopsticks and said with a serious expression: "We have only one way to go, to join the army, win over a group of like-minded people, and then carry out armed struggle and armed negotiations."

"Only when they know that our fists are no smaller than theirs, will they sit down and talk with us honestly."

"They won't be willing to sit down and talk with us." Hu Su shook his head.

"The only option is to fight. The Ming Dynasty has 600 million poor people, 300 million well-off and middle-class people, but less than one thousandth of the population is wealthy and powerful."

“Top-down change will never succeed. Successful actions are all bottom-up, and we are the bottom!”

When Li Meng said this, his eyes were shining.

Seeing this, Hu Su stretched out his hand and said, "Let me introduce you again. I am Hu Su, the eldest son of the Duke of Song's mansion!"

"Are you the grandson of that adult?" When the Qianqing Palace caught fire, Jinyiwei commander Hu Geng forcibly promoted Hu Lun's lineage from earl to duke, and he was the Duke of Song.

Although Li Mao guessed that Hu Su might be the child of a powerful family, he did not expect that Hu Su's background was so strong.

Obviously, he represented the die-hard monarchists. Unlike other monarchists, Hu Su was more accepting of the system of abolishing the emperor and establishing a figurehead, which meant ensuring that the royal family would continue to exist, even if it was only in name only. This was the best choice for the country and the people.

As the two men shook hands, the Ming Dynasty moved forward amidst the rolling wheels.

In the past twenty years, the overall pattern of the world has not changed much. The war in Europe ended in the 27th year of Hongguang with the intervention of the Ming Dynasty.

The world has been at peace for thirteen years now, but during these thirteen years, the world's technology seems to have stagnated.

It seems that since the Hongguang Emperor Zhu Heben stopped attending court, the world's science and technology has stagnated.

The stagnation of science and technology, the growth of population, and other contradictions have led to the idea of ​​abolishing the monarchy becoming popular among countries around the world, while countries around the world have achieved unprecedented unity in maintaining the monarchy.

Several revolutions within France were basically suppressed with the assistance of various countries.

Voltaire returned to Paris and was imprisoned for several anti-authoritarian works. The one who rescued him from prison was the Hongguang Emperor Zhu Heben, who was far away in Beijing.

Although Zhu Heben was unable to implement new policies, it was relatively easy for him to use his power to do some small things. As long as it did not involve the interests of the powerful, he would still be the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

In this way, Zhu Heben is sending a message to the outside world that he does not care about the people's opposition to autocracy.

The Ming Dynasty during this period was very strange. The emperor did not think that the Ming Dynasty belonged to him, so he gave up.

The powerful and wealthy did not think that the Ming Dynasty belonged to them, so they exploited the people unscrupulously.

The people did not think that the Ming Dynasty belonged to them, so they tried every means to change the status quo, and various anti-authoritarian remarks emerged one after another.

In the 43rd year of the Hongguang reign, Li Meng and Hu Su founded the Youth Association at Nanjing University.

In the 44th year of the Hongguang reign, after graduating, Li Meng took part in the imperial examination and was ranked 18th among the second-class Jinshi. He was appointed as the co-magistrate of Jiading Prefecture, Sichuan.

In the same year, Hu Su took part in the military examination and won the third place in the second class of military examination. He was appointed as the commander of Tianshan Guard of Anxi Dusi.

On the fifth day of April of that year, Emperor Hongguang Zhu Heben passed away at the age of ninety-two, second only to Emperor Gaozong Zhu Zhanhe who died at the age of ninety-three.

Although there were constant anti-authoritarian works and speeches among the people, when the people learned of Zhu Heben's death, many of them cried bitterly.

As Li Meng said, the people of the Ming Dynasty hated the royal family of the Ming Dynasty, or Zhu Heben himself, for not fighting for it, and had mixed feelings of love and hate.

On the second day of May, after twenty-seven days of resting his body, Zhu Heben was buried in Dingling Mausoleum. He was given the temple name Shenzong and the posthumous title Fan Tianhe Daozhe Sudun Jianguang Wenwen Wuan Renzhi Xiaoxian Emperor.

After Zhu Heben's burial, the new emperor did not ascend the throne immediately, but only did so at Fengtian Gate on the tenth day of May seven days later.

On the tenth day of the fifth month, Crown Prince Zhu Yizhen ascended the throne and changed the name of the next year to "Longwu", becoming Emperor Longwu.

Despite ascending the throne at the age of 72, Zhu Yizhen did not seem to succumb to reality.

He relaxed the ban on royal family members during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong and Emperor Wuzong, and restored the royal family guards to the rule of 3,000 men in each prince's palace and 1,000 men in each county prince's palace, except for the four western kings.

In addition, Zhu Yizhen appointed his seven sons as kings in the west.

After this imperial edict was issued, it was quickly rejected by the palace, but Zhu Yizhen did not give in. He simply issued an imperial decree to make it known to the world.

Zhu Yizhen is speaking to the world, and his voice is being heard by the world.

Some princes who were unwilling to be lonely began to recruit more guards, and realized that the Ming Dynasty had entered a period where it needed the protection of royal family members.

On the second day of April in the first year of Longwu, Zhu Yizhen sent Crown Prince Zhu Boqian to the areas of Qibei, Xihai, Dashi, Persia and other regions to meet with the four kings of the west, and at the same time investigate whether the Yili region was suitable to be set up as the western capital of the court.

On the fifth day, Zhu Boqian led the Tiance and Longxiang guards to the west.

On August 20, after Zhu Boqian's field investigation, he said in a phone call with Zhu Yizhen:
"Emperor Shiwu has already made preparations. He only needs to move the palace in Xizhou to Yili, and the court can make Yili the temporary capital."

"Ili is sandwiched between the Tianshan Mountains in the north and south. It is easy to defend from the east to the west but difficult to attack, and easy to attack from the west to the east but difficult to defend."

"If we set up the capital here, with the military strength of the four great princes and thirty-two county kings in the west, it will be enough to carry out reforms with peace of mind."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yizhen called back and said, "I hope you can complete the task I assigned to you safely."

On August 26, Zhu Boqian set out for Qibei City (Moscow), where the King of Liang was enfeoffed, and met on October 2.

On October 15, Zhu Boqian went to Fengzhou City (Kiev) in Xihai Prefecture and met with King Yong on the fifth day of the winter month.

On the 22nd day of the first lunar month in the second year of Longwu, Zhu Boqian went south to the Stone City of Dashi (Baghdad) and met with the King of Baha on the first day of February.

On March 24, Zhu Boqian went to Persia to meet with Prince Yong. The plane malfunctioned when it was flying over the Persian city (Tehran), deviated from its route and crashed into the Caspian Sea. Zhu Boqian died suddenly at the age of 46.

When the news reached Beijing, Zhu Yizhen cried all night and ordered the three Persian officials to send people to search for Zhu Boqian's body.

On April 18, Zhu Boqian's body was found and sent back to Beijing, shocking the whole country.

On May 18th, Zhu Boqian was buried in Tianshou Mountain, and Zhu Yizhen appointed his eldest son Zhu Zhongjian as the Crown Prince.

On August 17, Zhu Yizhen was in poor health and summoned Hu Xiang, Li Huaiyu and Meng Jinming to assist in governing the country.

At night, Zhu Yizhen died in the Yanshan Palace at the age of 74, and his grandson Zhu Zhongjian ascended the throne.

Because Zhu Yizhen passed away too quickly, less than one-fifth of his auspicious land had been built, so the palace could only be used to support the twelve-year-old crown prince Zhu Zhongjian to ascend the throne seven days after the coffin was laid to rest.

On August 24, the twelve-year-old Zhu Zhongjian ascended the throne. The court recommended Zhu Yizhen as Emperor Guangzong, and posthumously named him Emperor Gongtiandaorenmingchengjingzhaowuzhixiaozhuangminxiaojian.

Duke of Song Hu Xiang also submitted a memorial suggesting that Zhu Zhongjian's father Zhu Boqian be posthumously named Ruizong and given the posthumous title Emperor Kuang.

On the same day, upon the suggestion of his ministers, he changed the reign title of the first year of the Ming Dynasty to Yongli, and thus became the Yongli Emperor.

On the fifth day of September, the Grand Secretary Zheng Lingyao submitted a memorial stating that Ruizong's death was related to Li Huaiyu, the commander-in-chief of the Western Army and the Earl of Andong, and Meng Jinming, the Minister of Revenue, and suggested a thorough investigation.

Zhu Zhongjian tried to evade the question by saying, “It has been less than a month since our royal grandfather passed away. We should not bring up a major case.”

The Admiral of the Navy, the Earl of Pinglu Li Zheng, and the Admiral of the Southern Army Jiang Jin led hundreds of officials to submit a petition. Zhu Zhongjian was afraid to respond, so Li Zheng arrested Li Huaiyu and Meng Jinming on the grounds that the emperor had tacitly agreed.

Duke Hu Xiang of Song "flattered" Li and Zheng and was thus saved.

On the ninth day of the ninth month, Li Zheng executed Li Huaiyu and Meng Jinming on the grounds that they commanded the Western Army to attack Ruizong.

When the news came out, the whole country was in an uproar...

Even if one does not understand political affairs, one would know that Ruizong had close ties with the two men, and that the two were able to take charge of the Western Army Commander's Office and the Ministry of Revenue because of Ruizong's recommendation.

The claim that the two men killed Emperor Ruizong is sheer nonsense.

On the fifth day of October, Duke of Song Hu Xiang submitted a petition to resign from his post as commander-in-chief of the Northern Army and asked to return home to retire.

Grand Secretary Zheng Lingyao approved the proposal and submitted it to Zhu Zhongjian.

Zhu Zhongjian kept all the memorials and did not send them out, and ordered the Yanshan Guard and Jilin Guard to escort him back to the Yanshan Palace... but to no avail.

On October 17, Li Meng was promoted to the position of prefect of Chengdu Prefecture due to his meritorious service. Hu Su was promoted by Li Zheng to the position of assistant commander of Anxi Prefecture because his father surrendered.

On October 20, 32 princes including the Prince of Liang, the Prince of Yong, the Prince of Ning, the Prince of Xiang, the Prince of Huai, and the Prince of Xu, and 122 dukes sent a telegram to Beijing, hoping that Li Zheng would resign as the commander-in-chief of the navy.

On the afternoon of the same day, Duke of Song Hu Xiang submitted a memorial to restore the old system for the royal family during the reigns of Emperor Shizong and Emperor Xianzong. Li Zheng was overjoyed and immediately approved it. He and Zheng Lingyao drafted an edict and sent it to the Qianqing Palace for Zhu Zhongjian's approval.

Zhu Zhongjian refused and ordered the Yanshan Guard and Jilin Guard to close the inner court.

Yang Fang, the commander of Jilin Guard and Duke of Yue, suggested leading the army to break out and retreat to Jilin City in Bohai, but was rejected by Zhang Huaizhen, the commander of Yanshan Guard and Duke of Ying. Zhu Zhongjian was at a loss.

At midnight on the 21st, Zhu Jing, the sixth-generation grandson of Zhu Zhishan and a centurion of Yanshan Guard, opened the northern Xuanwu Gate of the inner court, and Li Yue, the son of Li Zheng, led his army through the Xuanwu Gate and entered the inner court.

"boom!"

(End of this chapter)