Anti-Qing: Starting from the Reincarnation of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 160
When Zhu Jianzhuo heard this, he said with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Is it too urgent for my father to ascend the throne now?"

"How about waiting to regain Nanjing and pay homage to Xiaoling before ascending the throne?"

When Zhu Jing'an heard this, he shook his head.

"Returning to my father, I believe that the time has indeed come for my father to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor."

"There are three main reasons for saying this."

"First, it's because the Qing court has a pseudo-emperor, Hongli. In this case, after the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, we will naturally have an emperor so that we can fight against the pseudo-emperor."

"Fight for the world's orthodoxy!"

Zhu Jianzhuo couldn't help but feel a little moved when he heard this.

Being an emperor is a temptation that no man can refuse. The reason why he, Lao Zhu, raised an army to fight against the Qing Dynasty, and the rest are all false.

To put it bluntly, isn’t it just to be the emperor?
Although he is now the supervisor, the supervisor and the emperor are different after all.

There is a huge difference between the two just in terms of their titles. One is the ruler of the world, and the other is more like a great steward when the throne is temporarily vacant.

Can master and butler be the same?

Now that he really had the opportunity to become emperor, Zhu Jiazhuo couldn't refuse.

But he still didn't make a rash decision and wanted to hear other reasons from his son.

Zhu Jianzhuo nodded slightly.

"and then?"

Zhu Jing'an was not polite and said.

"Secondly, if my father ascends the throne and proclaims himself emperor now, he can naturally increase the rank and rank of his civil servants and generals, and give them a wave of rewards, in order to consolidate the morale of the military and the people in the court."

This is actually a natural thing. Everyone follows your old Zhu family and tucks their heads in their belts to rebel. To put it bluntly, isn’t it just for glory and wealth?

If you don't give your subordinates glory and wealth, why should they sacrifice their lives for you?
"Third, after my father ascends the throne, he can order the opening of imperial examinations to select scholars, and completely pull the gentry from Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and other places onto my warship of the Ming Dynasty."

Regarding the imperial examination, Zhu Jing'an had actually been thinking about it for a long time.

Now the Ming Dynasty occupies Guangdong and Guangxi, troops have entered Guizhou and Hunan, and its power spans four provinces. It is no longer the valley empire it once was.

Instead, it has the atmosphere of an orthodox dynasty!
At this time, the Ming Dynasty had reached the point where it needed to win over the gentry!
Therefore, the matter of imperial examination is like an arrow on the string and has to be fired.

What is the most effective way to win over the gentry?
Official hat!

How to issue official hat?
Of course it’s the imperial examination!
Since the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the imperial examination became popular.

The imperial examination was a very important matter for a new dynasty.

It can even be said to be the top priority after the military!
Because once the imperial examination was held, it meant that this new dynasty began to cooperate with the gentry class.

Then, as long as there are no more major military failures, the new dynasty will be considered stable.

Just like when the Manchus entered the customs, it was decided to hold the imperial examination in the second year, and the examination for scholars began in the third year.

It was after the imperial examination that the Manchu Qing Dynasty truly established a firm foothold in the pass.

Correspondingly, a few years after the Manchu Qing court abolished the imperial examination, the Manchu Qing Dynasty died!

After the Revolution of [-], why did various places rush to change their banners?
Basically no loyal ministers of the Qing Dynasty came out to turn the tide?
To put it bluntly, isn’t it because the Manchu Qing Dynasty stopped giving official titles to its subordinates, and the last people’s hearts and minds were simply lost?
When Zhu Jianzhuo heard this, he nodded.

"What my son said is reasonable, but after all, this matter is of great importance. We should wait until we discuss it with the civil and military officials of the DPRK and China before making a decision!"

It was obvious that Zhu Jianzhuo had been convinced by Zhu Jing'an, and what he needed now was just the persuasion of his ministers.

Well, as an emperor of an orthodox dynasty, the rules of three concessions and three concessions must still be followed!

Zhu Jing'an also nodded and said.

"Don't worry, father, let me make the arrangements!"

When Zhu Jianzhuo heard this, he said nothing more and just nodded in approval.

Xingyuan and his party entered Guangzhou City.

On both sides of the streets in Guangzhou, there were the Guangzhou people who had been organized by Zhu Jing'an in advance to welcome him.

Standing at the front is an exquisite and cute child wearing brand new clothes.

They held banners, applied blush, and shouted welcome and warm welcome in childish voices.

These children include both boys and girls, and they are basically children from respectable families in and outside Guangzhou.

After all, it would definitely not be an ordinary person who could get the chance to show his face in front of His Majesty the Supervisor of the Ming Dynasty.

Behind these children was a welcoming team composed of gentry, wealthy businessmen and ordinary people in Guangzhou.

"Drive out the Tartars, restore China, fight against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty, and revive China!"

"The Great Ming is victorious, long live His Royal Highness Jian Guo!"

"..."

The crowd shouted slogans in an organized manner.

The atmosphere is extremely warm!

Many firecrackers hanging at the top of Guangzhou City were also lit, and the crackling sound of firecrackers sounded.

In addition, there are dragon and lion dances and acrobatic teams performing shows.

All in all, Guangzhou city is quite lively now.

Zhu Jianzhuo looked at the scene in front of him and couldn't help stroking his beard with a smile on his face.

Although he knew that the scene in front of him was deliberately arranged by his son, he could still feel the welcome of the people of Guangzhou to him, the supervisor of the Ming Dynasty.

Support the Ming Dynasty!

The group entered Guangzhou City and then headed all the way to the Jianguo Mansion.

Soon, they arrived at the former General's Mansion in Guangzhou, now the Mansion of the Supervisor of the Ming Dynasty.

As the residence of the Guangzhou Generals, the Guangzhou General Mansion is quite magnificent and elegant.

Coupled with Zhu Jing'an's subsequent renovations, the current Guangzhou General's Mansion is even more luxurious and elegant, with exquisiteness everywhere.

Before Zhu Jianzhuo launched his army, he was just an ordinary wealthy landowner. To be honest, this was the first time he had seen such a magnificent mansion.

He couldn't help but speak.

"My son, our Ming Dynasty is still at war. Is this Supervisor's Mansion too extravagant?"

Zhu Jianzhuo looked at the mansion in front of him with wonder in his eyes, but he was still a little worried about whether the cost was too much.

After all, the Ming Dynasty was just founded, so Zhu Jianzhuo could not help but be cautious, but it could not be considered a bad thing.

When Zhu Jing'an heard this, he just shook his head and said.

"Father is overly worried. This prison palace was once the Guangzhou General Palace of the Qing Dynasty. It is already decorated with gorgeous and extravagant decorations."

"After Ming Dynasty took over it, I only slightly renovated it and it didn't cost much."

After hearing this, Zhu Jianzhuo nodded with satisfaction and spoke.

"That's good, that's good!"

"Although my Ming Dynasty is not short of money, we cannot be extravagant and wasteful. It is necessary for our royal family to take the lead in being diligent and frugal."

Diligence and frugality are the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation. Although the royal family has a special status, no one can say anything if they are not diligent and thrifty.

But if you can persist in being diligent and frugal, it will definitely be a plus!

It definitely has a positive effect on stabilizing people’s hearts!
A group of people entered the prison state's mansion, and Zhu Jianzhuo led them to the main hall.

There, a welcome banquet has been prepared. …

It was night and the moon was dark.

Jian Guoxingyuan and his party all settled down.

Zhu Jingya left the banquet after the banquet, returned to his small courtyard, returned to his study, picked up a book of The Analects of Confucius and started reading.

And in his hand, there is a thick stack of manuscripts, all of which are the annotations of the Analects that he copied.

Although he was on the road during this period, his homework was not left behind.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door outside.

Zhu Jingya raised his head and said.

"Please come in!"

Immediately, he saw his mother Li pushing open the door and walking in.

Following Li were the current Minister of Household Affairs of the Ming Dynasty, Grand Bachelor of Wenyuan Pavilion, and Li Mu, the Second Assistant to the Cabinet.

He is Zhu Jingya’s grandfather!

Li Mu has been accompanying the army during this period of time, working beside Zhu Jing'an.

This time, Jianguo Xingyuan had just arrived in Guangzhou. As soon as the banquet ended, he came to visit his daughter and grandson as soon as possible.

"Is Jingya studying?"

Li Mu walked into the study, came to Zhu Jingya's side, and asked.

Zhu Jingya nodded and said.

"Yes, grandma, this is the homework assigned to me by my father. He asked me to study hard and learn knowledge."

Li Mu nodded and spoke in approval.

"Reading is good. Reading makes people wise, reasonable, and can see people's hearts. Reading more will never do any harm."

While talking, Li Mu dragged a stool and sat down in front of Zhu Jingya.

Seeing this, Mrs. Li spoke.

"Father, you and Jingya have a good chat, and I'll help you make tea."

Li Mu nodded.

"Go!"

Although Li is now the concubine of King Xing, the supervisor of the Ming Dynasty.

But because the identity changed too quickly.

Therefore, as a father, Li Mu did not feel inappropriate about instructing his daughter to make tea.

Similarly, Mrs. Li didn't think there was anything wrong with helping her father make tea herself.

After all, the Ming Dynasty was just founded, and there were not as many rules as imagined.

After Li left, Li Mu asked Zhu Jingya.

"Do you know why His Royal Highness the Governor wants you to study hard and not let you get involved in government affairs?"

When Zhu Jingya heard this, his expression felt inexplicably lost, and he tentatively answered.

"Is...is it because of big brother?"

Li Mu shook his head.

"That's part of the reason, but not all of it."

"The reason why His Highness Jianguo did this is not only to maintain the authority of the Grand Governor, but also for your own good."

Zhu Jingya frowned subconsciously when he heard this, and asked with doubts in his words.

"Why!"

Zhu Jingya was still young and although he was somewhat sensitive to power struggles, he was aware that Zhu Jianzhuo did not allow him to interfere in government affairs because of Zhu Jing'an.

But they still know nothing about the blood and cruelty in the power struggle!
But Li Mu was different. As a scholar with rich life experience and a thorough reading of history books, Li Mu had heard too much about the bloody fight for imperial power in the history books.

Therefore, he was able to realize the good intentions of Zhu Jianzhuo, an old father.

Li Mu pondered for a while, and then continued.

"His Royal Highness Jianguo simply doesn't give you a chance to compete for the throne. It's not because he doesn't care about you, but because he loves you."

"Compared with the Grand Governor, you and your brothers are far behind. There is no hope."

"His Royal Highness Jianguo's idea is that instead of giving you the opportunity to fight for the throne now and letting your brothers turn against each other because of the fight for the throne, it is better to simply cut off your opportunity so that there will be less suspicion between you brothers."

"In this case, even if the Governor succeeds to the throne in the future, he will definitely not make things difficult for brothers like you who are not a threat."

"When the time comes, you will all be able to become a wealthy prince and enjoy prosperity for the rest of your life."

"But if His Royal Highness the Governor gives you a chance to fight for the throne now, and the Governor succeeds to the throne in the future, he will inevitably be suspicious of you."

"It's okay when His Highness Jianguo is here, but once Jianguo dies, who can protect you?"

"Think about it for yourself. Is it better to be a wealthy prince of the Ming Dynasty and enjoy peace and quiet, or to be like the prince of the Li and Tang royal family, who is in danger because of the struggle for imperial power and who never knows when he will lose his head and his body."

"Parents love their children for their own purposes. There is no doubt about His Royal Highness Jianguo's love for you, Jingya..."

Li Mu said seriously.

In his opinion, Zhu Jianzhuo was not necessarily a good emperor because he did not let his sons compete with each other for power to ensure that no one could challenge his own power.

This is not what a good emperor should do!
But Zhu Jianzhuo must be a good father, also because he did not let his sons compete with each other for power to ensure that his children would not fight against each other.

This is what a qualified father should do!
Li Tang's Xuanwu Sect change in the past was actually rooted in Li Yuan himself.

While he established Li Jian as the prince, he also gave Li Shimin hope.

He even delegated power to Li Shimin to cultivate cronies in the army, and allowed Li Shimin to establish the team of Tiance Mansion...

In this way, it is foreseeable that Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin will turn against each other, brothers will kill each other, and the Xuanwu Gate will be stained with blood.

Of course, the reason why Li Yuan did this was also related to the world situation at that time.

In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty faced too many powerful enemies.

Moreover, Li Shimin's military talent was too strong. Without him, it is hard to say whether there would have been a follow-up to the Tang Dynasty.

So much so that Li Yuan could only delegate power to Li Shimin!
Let Li Shimin calm the world.

But even so, Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin's brothers killed each other, and Li Yuan still had an unshirkable responsibility.

How to put it, since Li Shimin was indispensable to the Tang Dynasty, wouldn't it be better if Li Yuan simply deposed Li Jiancheng and made Li Shimin the crown prince?

In this way, it would not be a problem for Li Jiancheng to at least be a wealthy and idle man. It would be better than Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin to fight against each other and stain the Xuanwu Gate with blood!

Moreover, from a historical perspective, the Xuanwu Gate Incident really set a bad start for future generations of the Tang Dynasty.

The Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Chengqian's rebellion, Wu Zetian's dethronement of the emperor, the Shenlong coup, the Jinglong coup, the Tanglong coup, the Xiantian coup, the three common people cases... are simply countless.

During the Tang Dynasty, the bloodshed and frequent palace coups during the transition of imperial power were definitely the most common in all dynasties.

It's hard to say that this has nothing to do with the bad start made by Li Shimin!
In comparison, the inheritance of the Ming Dynasty's throne was much more peaceful, with very few bloody incidents happening.

When Zhu Jingya heard this, he lowered his head and looked aggrieved, and asked with some reluctance.

"My dear, do I really have no chance of becoming emperor?"

Since he was born into an imperial family, how could Zhu Jingya have no idea about the throne?

(End of this chapter)