prosperous age

When the Wanli Emperor was young and impetuous, he was furious when he saw in a memorial that the King of Japan dared to proclaim himself "Emperor" in his own country.

The difference between "Son of Heaven" and "Emperor of Heaven" is immediately apparent.

The fact that the emperor of China was a "curved-hemmed emperor" was already enough to make Zhu Yijun feel aggrieved, let alone the emergence of an emperor from a tiny country.

It is important to know that before the Shang Dynasty, the ruler of the world called himself "Human Emperor".

Before the Shang Dynasty, rulers were often called "Human Emperors," such as Fuxi, Shennong, and Huangdi, emphasizing their status as leaders of the human race and their equal coexistence with heaven and earth. Their power originated from protecting human survival and collective recognition, rather than being divinely ordained.

For example, the Yellow Emperor unified the Central Plains by uniting tribes and establishing rules, embodying the concept of "people" first and "emperor" second.

During the Shang Dynasty, although the rulers were called "King" rather than "Son of Heaven," they had strengthened their dependence on "Heaven" and interacted with "Heaven" through divination and sacrifices, with a relationship similar to that of partners.

After the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, King Wu of Zhou proposed the concept of "Mandate of Heaven" in order to consolidate his rule, and declared himself to be the "Son of Heaven," that is, the "son of Heaven," shifting the legitimacy of his power from "the people's hearts" to "the will of Heaven."

This move aimed to compensate for a lack of political prestige by deifying oneself. For example, the Duke of Zhou further institutionalized the idea of ​​"Mandate of Heaven" and emphasized "matching Heaven with virtue".

The reason for such a huge change is naturally related to the transition from the Shang to the Zhou dynasty and the subsequent wars.

The "human emperors" before the Shang Dynasty were true "emperors among men." They did not rely on the status given by "heaven" but on their own abilities to carve out a place for humankind in the world.

In the time of Fuxi, the world was in chaos, and there was not much difference between humans and wild animals. They ate raw meat, lived in caves, and were terrified of thunder and rain.

Fuxi drew the Eight Trigrams, established human relations, and taught fishing and hunting, pulling "humans" out of the pack of wild beasts and telling everyone that we are not appendages of heaven and earth, that we can live on our own and set our own rules.

And what about Shennong?

To prevent people from starving or dying from disease, Shennong personally tasted hundreds of herbs, traversing mountains and rivers to select the edible and medicinal ones, even nearly dying from poisoning himself.

He is not the "chosen one," but the "chosen emperor." Humanity placed him in the position of leader because of their gratitude and trust in him.

As for the Yellow Emperor, the battle he fought against Chi You was so fierce that it was not due to "divine help," but rather because he trained his troops, built chariots and weapons, and united with other tribes to defeat Chi You and unify the Central Plains.

After the fight, he didn't say "this is the will of Heaven," but instead said, "Our human race must unite in order to survive."

Therefore, the "human emperors" before the Shang Dynasty were essentially "leaders of the human race" and had an "equal" relationship with heaven and earth.

Heaven governs Heaven, and man governs man. The Human Emperor stands between man and Heaven, protecting man and "bargaining" with Heaven.

The idea that thunder is divine wrath, rain is divine grace, and earthquakes are divine punishment is utter nonsense. If you're so capable, let the heavens and the human emperor have a real debate.

The people of the Shang Dynasty believed in "Heaven" to an extreme—they believed in ghosts and gods, in divination, and would consult "Heaven" before doing anything.

The "king" of the Shang Dynasty also carried some resemblance to the "human emperor".

Although they believed in Heaven, the core principle was "for the benefit of the human race," using divination and sacrifices to "utilize Heaven" rather than "submit to Heaven."

The Shang people viewed "Heaven" more like a "snobbish deity," and the Shang king was the "representative of the human race," responsible for dealing with this "snobbish deity."

However, at the end of the Shang Dynasty, a figure emerged who did not continue according to the model of his ancestors. This was the King Zhou mentioned in historical records.

Historical records describe King Zhou as "tyrannical and cruel," but from another perspective, he was also a "tough guy." He didn't believe in divination and thought that "fighting a war depends on oneself, not on fate."

At the same time, he suppressed nobles who believed in ghosts and gods, trying to concentrate power in his own hands.

Among them, the one most deeply "poisoned" was naturally King Zhou.

Therefore, under the banner of "Heaven will destroy the Shang Dynasty," he destroyed the Shang Dynasty.

Although he destroyed the Shang dynasty, King Wu of Zhou faced a major dilemma: "I, a small tribe, destroyed the great Shang dynasty. Why should so many Shang dynasty remnants and other discontented tribes recognize me as their leader?"

So King Wu of Zhou and his advisors devised a plan to "exterminate the family line," bringing up the concept of "Heaven" and presenting themselves as "the son of Heaven."

So the first thing King Wu of Zhou did after destroying the Shang dynasty was to announce, "King Zhou of Shang was tyrannical, and Heaven could no longer stand by and watch, so it sent me to destroy him."

I didn't want to be king; it was God who made me king.

I am the 'Son of Heaven,' the son of Heaven itself.

Thus, the "Son of Heaven" was born out of nowhere, completely breaking the bones of the "Human Emperor".

Thus, the Zhou king became the Zhou emperor, and the emperor created by Qin Shi Huang continued this system, becoming the emperor rather than the human emperor.

As for the story of the Human Emperor Sword reaching King Zhou, that's just a fabricated tale from the Investiture of the Gods.

It is said that the sword was a symbolic weapon of the emperor, and that King Zhou used it to repel the drought demon during a great drought. However, the sword was later corroded by Daji's demonic energy and lost its sharpness. It is also said that the emperor's sword shattered directly in the hands of King Zhou.

As for which ancient divine weapon the Human Emperor Sword is based on, most people think it might be described as the "Xuanyuan Sword".

The Xuanyuan Sword, one of the ten most famous swords in ancient China, is a legendary divine weapon, also known as the Xuanyuan Xia Yu Sword, and is called the sword of the sacred way.

According to the Records of the Grand Historian: The Annals of the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor used copper from Shou Mountain to forge a sword, and the name of the sword may be related to the Yellow Emperor.

One side of the sword is engraved with the sun, moon, and stars, while the other side is engraved with mountains, rivers, plants, and trees; one side of the hilt is inscribed with the techniques of farming and animal husbandry, while the other side is inscribed with strategies for unifying the world, containing boundless power.

Well, these are all myths and legends, but Emperor Wanli did read these accounts.

He didn't grow up entirely from reading "Illustrated Explanation of Imperial Admonitions." While emperors didn't need to study the Four Books and Five Classics, they read just as many miscellaneous books as Wei Guangde.

These miscellaneous books were naturally recommended to him by Wei Guangde, especially the section on "The Human Emperor".

Once you become emperor, don't think you're the "mandate of heaven." The oldest emperors didn't even respect "heaven."

The Human Emperor is an emperor elected by the people, who represents the will of "human beings".

This is also a way that Wei Guangde felt was worth trying to break the shackles of feudalism.

First, make the emperor realize that he is not the Son of Heaven and has no mandate of heaven.

To be called an emperor on earth, one must rely on the support of the people, not fate.

Of course, Zhang Juzheng initially disagreed with this, and the two had argued about it privately.

However, Zhang Juzheng was not rigid in his thinking, and when Wei Guangde explained his ideas, Zhang Juzheng found them reasonable.

At the very least, if Emperor Wanli had realized this, he would have taken into account the interests of the people under his rule when governing, instead of blindly following and believing others.

Wei Guangde was unaware that his instructions had led Emperor Wanli to fantasize countless times in his mind about returning to the title of "Human Emperor" from "Son of Heaven," and then mining copper from Shou Mountain to cast a tripod at the foot of Jing Mountain to reforge the Xuanyuan Sword.

Afterwards, the Wanli Emperor asked some questions about the situation in Japan, especially about the situation in the "China" region in western Honshu Island, which was occupied by Qi Jiguang and his men.

Although the war was not over, Emperor Wanli's thoughts had already jumped to the future: how to govern the region.

"Your Majesty, at that time China can be governed by the current Liaodong model, with the military command system."

As for Liaodong, I discussed this with my uncle, the current Second Grand Secretary Shen Shixing, years ago. We agreed that once the war with Japan ended, we would formally establish the Three Offices in Liaodong, making it the fourteenth province of our Great Ming Dynasty.”

Wei Guangde spoke up.

"What about Myanmar?"
"I remember that we originally planned to manage it through provinces," the Wanli Emperor suddenly asked.

"Myanmar will maintain the status quo in the short term, remaining under military control and operating under the regional command model, but the division of prefectures and counties needs to be accelerated."

The most important thing is the officials who are willing to go there.

I believe that the number of imperial edicts issued in the north, south, and central regions should be adjusted, and the number of people who pass the imperial edicts should be increased.

Except for retaining the most outstanding talents, such as those in the central government, the remaining graduates from the Southwest were transferred to serve as officials in the Southwest.

Scholars who took the imperial examinations naturally wanted to stay in the capital or the glamorous world of Jiangnan, and were mostly unwilling to return to their hometowns in the southwest.

The imperial court tried everything, but to no avail.

Therefore, in the southwest, the main officials were those in the cultural administration system, and a large number of local scholars who had passed the imperial examinations were appointed to official positions. Sometimes even those who had passed the county-level imperial examinations could obtain official positions.

Of course, such backgrounds doom them to have a hard time going far.

Having an official position is much better than just being a gentry.

"Is Master Wei suitable for discussion?"

Emperor Wanli, being very studious, asked a question.

"In addition to the main list, there is also a supplementary list for the provincial examination results."

With the imperial examinations approaching, I believe that a supplementary list system should be reinstated in addition to the main list.

Those who passed the supplementary examination could also participate in the palace examination, but they were assigned to serve as officials in the southwest region.

If one does not wish to go, then one need not participate in the palace examination, but can take it again three years later.

In addition to the main list, there were supplementary lists for the provincial and prefectural examinations. However, in the metropolitan examination, there were supplementary lists, but they were only available for a very short time.

For example, the imperial examination in the fourth year of the Yongle reign established a supplementary list for the first time, but it was quickly abolished.

Since those who passed the supplementary examination were never considered officially successful candidates, those who passed the supplementary examination in the fourth year of the Yongle reign were also ineligible to participate in the palace examination.

Now, Wei Guangde plans to reinstate the supplementary list for the metropolitan examination, which will be directly set up for selecting officials in the southwest. This means that as long as a student is willing to serve as an official in the southwest, the court will recognize his status as a tribute student and grant him the qualification to participate in the palace examination.

Of course, regardless of their ranking in the palace examination, they could only serve as officials in the southwest.

In short, Wei Guangde felt that some special policies were needed to promote local development in the southwest.

While they are plotting in the imperial court how to weaken the power of the regional military governors and abolish those chieftains, it would be better if someone went there.

Even those who were granted the title of Jinshi (进士) by the imperial court were still legitimate Jinshi, and their status was much higher than that of Juren (举人).

With a stable pool of officials going to the southwest, and the court providing further preferential treatment, especially allowing the Ministry of Works to undertake large-scale road construction in the region, the southwest region might be developed sooner.

Taking Sichuan, the core of Southwest China, as an example, the Shu Road is so difficult that it is said to be as difficult as ascending to heaven. In addition to its location, transportation is also an important factor that restricts the development of Southwest China.

Previously, Wei Guangde's administration placed great emphasis on opening up the seas, aiming to increase productivity by expanding foreign trade. In addition, the collection of tariffs was an important reason for his implementation of this law.

With coastal areas now thriving in trade and economy, while inland regions have benefited less, it's time to launch a "Western Development" strategy.

It's better to maintain a relative balance between the economies of the East and the West.

If the economy in the south was developed, the imperial court would implement a policy of using the south to supplement the north for a long time, and levy heavy taxes in certain parts of the south.

During the Japanese invasion, the main force was drawn from taxes in the south, and the tax increases were also implemented in the south, without large-scale mobilization of forces from the north.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty court had long been aware of the imbalance between the North and the South by this time, not to mention the major civil service examination scandal during the Hongwu reign, which made the huge gap between scholars in the North and the South even more obvious.

"Master Wei, the Cabinet and the Ministry of Rites should submit their regulations as soon as possible. The imperial examination is about to begin, and I hope they can be finalized quickly."

Emperor Wanli thought Wei Guangde's suggestion was good. Selecting officials in the southwest was troublesome, and many people were unwilling to serve in the southwest. They preferred to remain on the waiting list in the Ministry of Personnel rather than serve in lower-ranking or southwestern regions.

Wei Guangde then thought of another matter, namely the regulations for cadres to support the frontier in later generations. So he said, "In addition, I think we can discuss with the Ministry of Personnel to establish a policy that allows Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who serve in the southwest to be transferred back to the prosperous coastal areas after nine years of examinations without any mistakes."

"Master Wei, are you planning to focus your new policies for the new year on the southwest region?"

The Wanli Emperor looked at Wei Guangde and asked, word by word.

"No, it was only when His Majesty mentioned Burma that I realized that there was an urgent need for additional officials there. It just so happened that the imperial examination was approaching, so I thought of implementing a series of policies around the Southwest Province."

As for Your Majesty's first new policy of the new year, I have actually had an idea for some time now, and I will submit it to Your Majesty after the court session on the 21st.

Wei Guangde said.

"Oh, Master Wei, what is the origin of your first memorial?"

When Emperor Wanli heard Wei Guangde say that what he had just said was just a whim, he immediately pressed for an answer.

"Restore the academy."

Wei Guangde answered honestly, "In the early years, Zhang Xiangjian's casual lectures at the academy caused a lot of controversy, so he banned the academy and its lectures."

In my opinion, a lamp won't shine unless it's adjusted, and a truth won't be clear unless it's debated. Concentrating the debate within the academy might not be a bad thing.

Wei Guangde did not mention the conflict between the Neo-Confucian and School of Mind factions over the academies. Zhang Juzheng was actually mainly worried that the gentry would use the academies to oppose the new policies.

By now, Wei Guangde is unlikely to introduce any so-called "heretical" new policies, so he is not afraid that the gentry will use this platform to attack the court, and therefore plans to open it up.

"However, Master Zhang often argued with the students about the School of Mind and the School of Principle at the academy, leaving them confused."

The Wanli Emperor said with some concern.

Wei Guangde still couldn't say what Zhang Juzheng was thinking at the time, so he could only say, "Students are all adults and should be able to make their own judgments."

If you think the philosophy of mind is good, you can study it; if you agree with the philosophy of principle, you will naturally still read Zhu Xi.

The imperial examination system valued talent, not whether someone was a follower of Neo-Confucianism or the School of Mind.

“Master Wei, since you’ve made up your mind, then go for it. I support you.”

Emperor Wanli was relatively confident in Wei Guangde. In the past six months, without Zhang Juzheng in charge, the government had been operating normally, and an offensive against Japan had been launched, making the situation very favorable.

Therefore, he naturally trusted Wei Guangde's governing abilities.

In reality, everything in the Ming Dynasty already had established systems. Although not changing these systems would lead to greater corruption, it would not accelerate the decline of the dynasty.

However, people in this era cannot see these things.

Only someone like Wei Guangde, untouched by feudal ideology, would understand that the court would continue to function regardless of who was missing, even without an emperor. (End of Chapter)